Protecting red oak seedlings with tree shelters in northwestern Pennsylvania
1993
Walters, Russell S.
S2Maintenance of oak species and a lack of oak regeneration are major silvicultural problems in many upland oak forests of the Eastern United States. Advance oak regeneration where present generally is small and lacks vigor. As a result, artificial regeneration is sometimes used, but planted oak seedlings usually do not grow well. Plastic tree shelters have been used to protect planted and natural oak seedlings from deer browsing and to promote seedling height growth and survival. This study examined the growth and survival of planted and natural red oak seedlings and seedlings from planted acorns within translucent tree shelters, fences, and unprotected controls with and without herbicide application under a shelterwood seed-cut stand. After 2 years, surviving control planted seedlings were significantly shorter than those protected by tree shelters and fences. The average height of seedlings planted within tree shelters and fences was 0.88 foot and was not significantly different. Planted control seedlings were shorter after the second year than the first, suggesting that these unprotected seedlings had been browsed by deer. The best survival of planted seedlings was inside the fences, with and without herbicide. Survival in shelters was 82 percent when herbicide was used and 40 percent without herbicide, probably due to low light intensity. Survival of planted control seedlings was unsatisfactory whether or not herbicide was applied, likely the result of browsing. Only 16 percent of the acorns planted within shelters produced seedlings and none grew outside of shelters. Small mammals destroyed most planted acorns. Natural seedlings grew little and their height inside and outside of shelters was not different from that of planted seedlings. Recommendations based on these results should improve results when tree shelters are used.S3.
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