Northern Research Station

Title: Gap characteristics of southeastern Ohio second-growth forests

Author: Hix, David M.; Helfrich, Katherine K.

Date: 2003

Source: In: Van Sambeek, J. W.; Dawson, Jeffery O.; Ponder Jr., Felix; Loewenstein, Edward F.; Fralish, James S., eds. Proceedings of the 13th Central Hardwood Forest Conference; Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-234. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station: 247-253

Description: Transect sampling was used to assess the features of 30 gaps encountered in upland oak stands on the Wayne National Forest. Tip-ups caused the most canopy gaps (52 percent), two-thirds of which were small (< 100 m²). Only on south-facing slopes were more large gaps found than small gaps. Gaps in the youngest age class (1 to 9 years) were significantly larger than older gaps. Twenty-seven percent of the gaps were shaped like an ellipse. Sugar maple was the dominant tree species successfully regenerating in both small and large gaps. These results indicate that gap dynamics will likely result in a species composition shift from oaks to mesic species in the future.

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Citation

Hix, David M.; Helfrich, Katherine K.  2003.  Gap characteristics of southeastern Ohio second-growth forests.   In: Van Sambeek, J. W.; Dawson, Jeffery O.; Ponder Jr., Felix; Loewenstein, Edward F.; Fralish, James S., eds. Proceedings of the 13th Central Hardwood Forest Conference; Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-234. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station: 247-253.