the regeneration indicator: data and uses nrs mt d… · full forest profiles and future...

The Regeneration Indicator: Data and Uses

Why Is It Important? What Is It?

What Does It tell Us? Update/Discussion

NRS-FIA Management Team Meeting December 2-3, 2014 Madison, WI

Williams H. McWilliams Research Forester

NRS-FIA, Analytical Science Group

Regeneration Indicator Why Important?

Because Aging Forests Will Eventually Need Replaced !


Age Class (Years)

0

20,000,000

40,000,000

60,000,000

0-20 21-40 41-60 61-80 81-100 100+

8%

Distribution of Forest Land, NRS-FIA Region

Healthy Young Forests Are Important!

Rare Across the Landscape

Support Unique Wildlife Species

Contribute to Biodiversity

Regeneration Drives Young Forest Habitat Quality

Young Forest Habitat Quality Drives Forest Sustainability

Golden-Winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) Photo by Cristian Artuso

Because Tree Regeneration is Under Stress: Non-Native Invasive Plants



Because Tree Regeneration is Under Stress: Native Plants


Because Tree Regeneration is Under Stress: Poor Management Practices


Photo by Scott Bauer, Bugwood.org

Because Tree Regeneration is Under Stress: Browse Pressure

Because Tree Regeneration is Under Stress:

Climate Change Soil Chemistry

Local Weather Conditions Poor Seed Production

Native and Non-Native Insects and Diseases Fire Exclusion

Owner Objectives Forest Fragmentation

Multiple Stress Interactions!


Regeneration Indicator What Is It?

N Sample Plot

Subplot

1. All Samples (Phase 2) Tree Damage Carbon Stocks/Fluxes Species Composition Climate Change Impacts Forest Structure Forest Land Status and Trends Timber Volume Many Others Woody Biomass 2. Summer Samples (Phase 2-plus) Down Woody Material 1. Vegetation Profile Tree Crown Condition 2. Invasive Plants Survey Soils 3. Regeneration Survey 3. Urban Forest (under development) 4. Non-Forest with Trees (coming soon)

Microplot

Tally Tree (> 5.0 inches DBH)

Non-Tally Tree (> 5.0 inches DBH)

Tally Tree (>= 1.0 inch length and < 5.0 inches d.b.h.

Tally Tree (<1.0 inch HT)

Vine (Woody)

Vine (Non-woody)

Shrub (> 0.5 meters)

Subshrub (< 0.5 meters)

Invasive Plant Graminoid /Grass

Forb ( and herb)

Fern

Growth Habit

Sample footprint

1. Vegetation Profile: Percent Cover by Growth Habit

24.0 feet

16.0 feet

2.0 feet

6.0 feet


Subplot

2. Invasive Plant Survey: Cover Percent for 43 Select Species

24.0 feet


3. Tree Regeneration (Tree Seedlings and Saplings)


Microplot

6.8 feet

2 inches to 6 inches in length

3 feet tall to 5 feet in length

Greater than 10-feet in length

5 feet to 10 feet in length

1 foot tall to 3 feet in length

6 inches tall to 1 foot in length

All Established Seedlings >= 2-inches Tall Check Root-Collar-Diameter for Large-Seeded Species (e.g. Oaks) Tally by Six Length (Height) Classes Average Time is 15 Minutes Per Microplot

Regeneration Indicator What Does It Tell Us?

Regeneration Indicator Questions

Tree-Seedling Composition/Abundance? Future Composition and Structure?

Regeneration Adequacy? Tree-species Migration?

Stem Recruitment? Regeneration Models?

Forest Projection Models (FVS, eco-process, …)? Forest Policy (e.g., restoration)?

Wildlife Policy (e.g. deer harvest)? Temporal and Spatial Trends?


Vegetation Indicator Questions

Understory Carbon Stocks and Fluxes? Climate Change Impacts?

Woody Biomass Fuels? Biodiversity? Pristineness?

Young Forest Character? Impact of Competing Vegetation?

Wildlife Food and Cover? Wildfire Risk?

Temporal and Spatial Trends?


Browse Impact

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Low

Medium

High

Very High

Percent of Samples

Brow

se Im

pact

Wisconsin, 2012 and 2013


Seedling Abundance


Length Class

Number of Seedlings

Greater than 10.0 inches

5.0 feet to 9.9 feet



6.0 inches to 11.9 inches

2.0 inches to 5.9 inches


Seedling Profiles

0 500 1000 1500

boxelder

mountain maple

paper birch

bitternut hickory

hackberry

white ash

eastern hophornbeam

quaking aspen

northern pin oak

northern red oak

American elm

serviceberry spp.

chokecherry

white oak

balsam fir

eastern white pine

silver maple

American hornbeam

black ash

black cherry

sugar maple

red maple

0 100 200 300 400 500

hackberrybur oak

Siberian elmpaper birch

northern white-cedarbitternut hickory

black sprucemountain maple

American basswoodeastern white pine

American elmnorthern pin oaknorthern red oak

green asheastern hophornbeam

white oakbalsam fir

chokecherryserviceberry spp.

quaking aspenAmerican hornbeam

white ashblack cherry

black ashsugar maple

red maple

0 20 40 60 80

jack pinehawthorn spp.

bur oaktamarack (native)

northern white-…American elm

mountain maplewhite oakgreen ash

northern pin oakchokecherry

eastern white pineserviceberry spp.

black willowwhite ash

paper bircheastern…

American…black ash

black cherrybalsam fir

quaking aspenred maple

sugar maple

2.0 inches to 11.9 inches 1.0 feet to 4.9 feet Greater than or equal to 5.0 feet

Number of Seedlings


Number of Seedlings Number of Seedlings

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Seedlings

Saplings

Adults


Full Forest Profiles and Future Composition

Maine, 2012 and 2013

Perc

ent o

f Tot

al N

umbe

r of S

tem

s by

Size

Gainers

Losers


Special Issues

Maine, 2012 and 2013: Balsam Fir and Red Spruce Structure

Perc

ent o

f Tot

al N

umbe

r of S

/F S

tem

s

0

20

40

60

80

100

Balsam fir

Red spruce

Diameter Class (Inches) Seedling Length


Special Issues

Pennsylvania Regeneration Adequacy (2008 to 2012): Oak/Hickory

Stands from 40- to 75-Percent Stocked with Live trees


Special Issues

Pennsylvania Regeneration Adequacy (2008 to 2012): Maple/Beech/Birch

Stands from 40- to 75-Percent Stocked with Live trees


Special Issues

Pennsylvania Regeneration Adequacy: Trend Analysis

Prop

ortio

n

0.000

0.100

0.200

0.300

0.400

0.500

0.600

2001 to2005

2002 to2006

2003 to2007

2004 to2008

2005 to2009

2006 to2010

2007 to2011

2008 to2012

2009 to2013

n = 124 n = 122 n = 120 n = 119 n = 119 n = 120 n = 116 n = 107 n = 102

The Pennsylvania Regeneration Study (PRS) is the primary indicator used to determine the

number of deer permits to issued in PA by Wildlife

Management Unit (WMU)

This chart shows that regeneration has

improved in WMU 2G!

http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=1745350&mode=2

Wildlife Management Units

2G

http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=1745350&mode=2

Will McWilliams 610-557-4050 [email protected]

Update and Discussion

Painted Trillium(Trillium undulatum) Photo by Dr. Thomas G. Barnes

the regeneration indicator: data and uses nrs mt d… · full forest profiles and future...

Documents