Theses and Dissertations

Qi Yao

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Fan, Zhaofei

Committee Member

Ezell, W. Andrew

Committee Member

Spetich, A. Martin

Date of Degree

8-7-2010

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Forestry

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Forest Resources

Department

Department of Forestry

Abstract

Oak decline-induced mortality and failure of oak regeneration have become a concern in upland oak forests in the Missouri Ozarks. This project investigated the effects of timber harvesting on both oak regeneration and mortality of oak residuals following a suite of harvesting treatments in the Missouri Ozarks based on the sixteen-year monitoring data from the Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project (MOFEP). On dry sites by year 10, clearcutting improved the density of oak reproduction the most, and that intermediate cutting and clearcutting increased the proportion of black oak reproduction with 2% and 3%, respectively in the composition of the forests in the study area. Single-tree selection exacerbated the mortality of oak residuals, group selection and no harvesting had a similar effect on oak residuals. Intermediate cutting improved the survival of residuals the most. This project suggested well-designed silvicultural practices would likely reduce oak mortality and increase understory oak reproduction.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11668/15253

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