2019 Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project

2019·7.1 MB·English

by  Missouri Department of Conservation, Division of Forestry

Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project
MOFEP
MOFEP Forest Management Systems
Even-aged Management
1995 1996 2011 2026 2101
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Stand age 0 0 15 0 0 15 30 15 0 15 30 45 30 15 105 90 0 60 75 60 90 105
'-□--l_ Desig_nated _old gro_ w_th_,l l~•-1st-regen-erati~on harveIst 1stregeneration harvest 1stregeneration harvest 8 harvests over 105 years
Every stand entered once
2ndregeneration harvest 2ndregeneration harvest
.____ _____ ___, D
Stands are even-aged
3rdregeneration harvest
Compartment is uneven-aged
Uneven-aged Management
1995 1996 2011 2026 2101
Age cohorts 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 2 3 2 2 3 3+ 2 2 2 3 3+ 3+ 3+ 3 3+ 3+ 3 3+ 3
Designated old growth 1 regeneration harvest 1 regeneration harvest 1 regeneration harvest 8 harvests over 105 years
Every stand entered 3+
2 regeneration harvests 2 regeneration harvests
Stands are uneven-aged
3 regeneration harvests
1 Compartment is uneven-aged
MOFEP Silvicultural Treatments

Scale
Scale

113

• Treatments are applied at the stand-scale 105
• Even-aged management is intensive BA
o 10 – 12% of compartment treated 87 (ft/a2
c
• Uneven-aged management is extensive 78 re) _._NHM
o 20 – 60% of compartment treated -0-UAM
16 70 ---T-EAM
• Approximately the same amount of timber is
95 96 02 06 10 13
removed per entry under each management
system
Stands entered in 1996 even-aged harvest on site 9 Basal area on all MOFEP sites through time.
(blue) and 1996 uneven-aged harvest on site 7 (red). Vertical dashed lines represent harvest years.
Regeneration Harvests
• Even-aged regeneration harvests
o Clearcut with reserves
▪ Residual basal area (RBA) < 10 ft2/acre
o Shelterwood
▪ Overwood RBA ca. 30 ft2/acre
• Uneven-aged regeneration harvests
o Single-tree selection
▪ RBA ca. 60 – 70 ft2/acre (B-level stocking)
o Group selection (only used in 1996 harvest)
▪ RBA ca. 60 – 70 ft2/acre (B-level stocking)
▪ Group opening size dependent on aspect
Intermediate Treatments
2011 clearcut with reserves (left) and 2011 shelterwood after the establishment cut.
1996 clearcut with reserves (right).
• Intermediate treatments
o Selection and free
thinning
o Timber stand
improvements
• Stands in even-aged sites
receive intermediate
treatments in an entry prior
to the regeneration harvest
• Stands in uneven-aged sites
receive intermediate 2011 free thinning on an
treatments at the same time even-aged site.
1996 single tree selection. 1996 group openings on a ridge.
as the regeneration harvest
2
Woody Vegetation
P r o j e c t S u m m a r y 2 0 1 9
Objectives
Management
Evaluate the impacts of forest management
Suggestions:
on the composition and structure of woody
• To promote red and tree, sapling, and seedling species
white oak
regeneration, reduce
Project Design
stand basal area to
at least ca. 25 ft2/
acre & 45 ft2/acre, • Total of 648 half-acre
respectively.
woody vegetation plots
• Red oak
across the 9 sites.
regeneration will be
most successful on -Between 70 and 76 plots per site across all ELTS.
poorer quality sites
• Trees, saplings, and woody regeneration are sampled
and when advance
regeneration density in successively smaller nested subplots.
exceeds roughly 450
stems/acre. • Sampling occurs in the dormant season every four
years and in the years pre- and post-harvest.
• If relying on UAM
methods, group-
What we have learned so far:
selection harvests
will result in higher
densities of total • In the 15-year interval between the first two harvests, tree basal area on
regeneration and of
white oak EAM and UAM sites rebounded to nearly the level of untreated NHM sites.
regeneration than
• In the overstory of all sites, black oak and scarlet oak decreased while white
will single-tree
selection harvests. oaks increased, indicating a potential compositional shift.
• To promote • Recruitment of red oaks into larger size classes is occurring only on EAM
shortleaf pine
sites, mostly localized to
regeneration,
additional clearcuts. 1400
treatments will be -+-Clearcut (a) white oaks
required to prepare • Recruitment of white oaks 1200
tchoen tsreoeld cboemd paentdin tgo and hickories has occurred 1000 -------0+---ssiinnggllee- atrnede group
hardwood on both EAM and UAM 800 ....... unhaNested
vegetation.
sites, with white oak recruit- 600
• Monitor red maples ment being highest in com-
400
during the seedling-
bination group- and single-
to-sapling 200
transition; on higher tree selection areas and in ..Ccll
qspueacliiteys smitaeys the clearcuts. aQ). 0 pre-harvest year2 year6 year1 o
maintain a • The density of red maple CQf))
competitive ~ 1400
I-
advantage. seedlings increased on all -+-Clearcut (b) red oaks
1200
sites. ----0--single and group
1000 ---+-single-tree
• Harvesting on both EAM
800 ....... unhaNested
and UAM sites accelerated
600
the replacement of declining
400
older trees by more vigorous
200
young trees, which should
0
enhance forest health. pre-harvest year2 year6 year1 0
MOFEP 1st Woody Vegetation 2nd Futme 3rd
Begins Harvest Sampling Harvest Sampling Harvest
1990 1996 2011 2026
1992 1994 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
3
Ground Flora
& Soft Mast
P r o j e c t S u m m a r y 2 0 1 9
Objectives
Evaluate the impacts of forest management on the
richness, diversity, abundance, and composition of
Management
ground flora plant species and soft mast abundance.
Suggestions:
Project Design
• Prevent
introduction of • Inventories are on 648 half-
new invasive acre vegetation plots,
plant seeds via randomly placed across nine sites.
logging
• Data recorded on 16 1-square-meter quadrats,
equipment
systematically nested within the half-acre plot.
• Vigilant • Sampling occurs from June through early September.
monitoring and • Every vascular plant identified to species level; abundance
removal of
assessed using percent cover; soft mast structures counted.
invasive plants
• Watch for What we have learned so far:
decreases in
high quality • There were no significant changes in the No Harvest sites; species richness, diversity,
species
and abundance of flora and soft mast berries remained low.
• Clearcut areas
• Increases in richness, diversity, and abundance occurred in Even-age and Uneven-
should remain
age sites 3-5 years after harvest, especially native woodland species.
small and
scattered on • Soft mast berries increased dramatically in clearcut stands in EAM.
the landscape
• These metrics later declined as the new stand developed, especially as clearcut stands
• Devote entered stem exclusion, shading out the ground layer.
resources to
• Community quality assessed using Coefficients of Conservatism (CC) values; high
glade
management to quality species increased, but average floral quality (avgCC) declined slightly due to a
increase flora greater increase of low quality native species.
diversity
• Non-native species did not increase on plots, but we found new occurrences of
aggressive non-native invasive species, especially on logging landings and skid trails.
15~-----U-ne-ve-n--ag-ed- ----a -~ 15 ~------E-ve-n--ag-ed- -----~ -- •• -- hloigwhCCCC r ircichhnneessss
14 14 - -6- avgCC
13 13
12 12
N 11
10 'fEil 10 10 Different letters
8 (I(<Cl)l ·Cul) a9 (8I<Cll indicate
() "C' . A ab AB AB a 7 significant
~•co•-·= ~=·Q=•= =•= =•== •== 111•00·-.:'.~ differences over
b AB ab b B
time, within a
metric; capital
1995 I 1999 2001 2010 I 201• 1995 1999 2001 2010 2014 letters used for
1996 Year 2011 1996 Year 2011
Harvest Harvest Harvest Harvest avgCC.
MOFEP 1st Ground Flora Full/Partial 2nd Future 3rd
Begins Harvest Soft Mast Full/ Harvest Sampling Harvest
1990 1996 2011 2026
1992 1994 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
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4
Breeding Songbirds
P r o j e c t S u m m a r y 2 0 1 9
Objectives
Evaluate the effects of forest management on
Management
Suggestions: territory abundance and reproductive success of
breeding bird populations.
• Larger areas (>400
ha) of uncut forest Project Design
would provide the
highest densities of
• Spot-mapping to count the number of breeding
mature forest birds.
territories/area.
• Reducing the Focal Mature Forest Species: Acadi-
number of stands • Point-counting to measure relative abundance from rate an Flycatcher, Kentucky Warbler, Oven-
harvested per entry of song detection. bird, Wood Thrush and Worm-eating
and harvesting • Nest searching and monitoring to estimate reproductive Warbler.
adjacent stands success and brood parasitism by Brown-headed
could reduce Cowbirds. Focal Early Succession Species:
negative direct and • Mist-netting and banding to study bird use of Blue-winged Warbler, Hooded Warbler,
indirect effects on
Indigo Bunting, Prairie Warbler, White-
mature forest regenerating clearcuts during the post-fledgling period.
eyed Vireo & Yellow-breasted Chat.
species.
What we have learned so far:
• A shorter re-entry
period of 7-10
Mature forest bird species
years would
provide a more • Forest management reduces territory abundance, but forest birds continue to occupy and
sustained reproduce on sites managed with all three silviculture alternatives.
population of early • Reductions in abundance on the no-harvest sites suggest the possibility that silviculture
succession shrub
may have impacts on forest birds that occur over a distance of several kilometers and last
land bird species.
for up to 14 years.
• Changes in the
surrounding Early succession shrub land bird species
landscape, such as • Both harvest practices provided habitat that was not present prior to harvest, but some
exurban species responded most positively to even-aged management.
development,
increase in food • Current management tends to produce a recurring pulse where abundance of shrub land
opportunities for bird species peaks in year 7-8 and declines to near zero by 12 years after harvest.
generalist Reproductive Success
predators, increase
• Forest management does not appear to increase populations of avian nest predators or
in short-grass
pasture/lawn, or an Brown-headed Cowbirds and does not significantly affect nest success or brood parasit-
increase in grazing ism, but future changes in the landscape may interact with effects of forest management.
herbivores and • Both groups of bird species use the dense vegetation of regenerating clearcuts as poten-
associated land
tially important habitat during the post-fledging period of juvenile development.
management should
be monitored 0.4
because these could Ovenbird
change the 60 ~ -----------------~ 0.3
interaction of forest ~
management and 50 0.2
asuvciacne srse.p roductive ~ 40 0 0 0.1 ' .•. EUVNEENV-EANG-EADG ED
i + NO-HARVEST
I:! 30 . ::~:. ..; :~-~-~->-~:~~-~-~"~·-.... PREHARVEST EARLY-POST LATE-POST POST-SECOND PREHARVEST EARLY-POST LATE-POST POST-SECOND
;..
:ii: 20 0.1 0.4
Prairie Warbler Worm-eating Warbler
Species ....,
10 o Late ··--._ .. 'Ill -4 EUVNEENV-EANG-EADG ED .•. EUVNEENV-EANG-EADG ED
Succession · , + NO-HARVEST + NO-HARVEST
0 ~ ---S~p•_c_ie_, ___________~ ~ I ~
., j.. ' I
6 8 10 12 14 ., ' I
Years Post-treatment ,, ··········' I
PREHARVEST EARLY-POST LATE-POST POST-SECOND PREHARVEST EARLY-POST LATE-POST POST-SECOND
MOFEP 1st 2nd Future 3rd
Begins Harvest Harvest Sampling Harvest
1990 1996 2011 2026
1992 1994 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
5
Herpetofauna
P r o j e c t S u m m a r y 2 0 1 9
Objectives
Evaluate the impacts of forest management
Management on abundance and species composition of
Suggestions:
amphibian and reptile populations.
• Keep clearcut
acreage small.
Project Design
• Minimize soil Western Ratsnake
disturbance and
compaction.
• Total of 108 arrays across the 9 compartments
• Leave down and
-12 arrays per compartment
dead wood and
snags to provide
• Arrays randomly placed using a split-plot
refugia in
disturbed areas.
design based on Ecological Land Type (ELT)
• Maintain or exceed -6 arrays on S- and W- facing aspects
BMPs around
ponds and streams. -6 arrays on N- and E- facing aspects
• Balance needs of • Sampling occurs in spring and fall
mature forest
species and early
successional
species.
What we have learned so far:
• Consider
availability of
• Minimal compartment-
surrounding Herpetofauna Diversity
habitat. Is their level effects. ,:;;- 2.9
potential for -a-NHM
t::- 2.8
species • Environmental factors lead
immigration or
emigration? to natural population
• Do not allow fluctuations, supporting the
intentional snake
killing. Give need for a long-term
venomous snakes
their space to dataset. 2.2
reduce chance of
envenomation. • Numerous herpetofauna NM'O::;j-V)\Ot- 00 0-, 0 N M -st
0\ 0\ 0\ 0\ 0\ 0\ 0 0
0\ 0\ 0\ 0\ 0\ 0\ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
respond locally to harvest. N N N N N N N
Year
Lizards increased following
harvest, snakes showed mixed responses, salamanders showed declining
trends, and frogs/toads had minimal changes.
• The mosaic of habitats created by forest management may increase
herpetofauna diversity across the landscape.
• Although there is no current need to change MDC’s forest management due
to impacted herpetofauna populations, as more area within the
compartments receive treatment we may see cumulative effects that impact
the community.
MOFEP 1st Herpetofauna 2nd Future 3rd
Begins Harvest Sampling Harvest Sampling Harvest
1990 1996 2011 2026
1992 1994 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
6
Small Mammals
P r o j e c t S u m m a r y 2 0 1 9
Objectives
Management Evaluate the impacts of forest management on
Suggestions:
small mammal composition, species richness,
• Leave down and and relative abundance.
dead wood and
snags to provide Project Design
refugia in
disturbed areas. • Each compartment Peromyscus spp.
has two –12x12
• Even-aged and
station trapping grids (total area= 18.7 acres/grid).
uneven-aged
management can -144 stations per grid with a baited ground-
increase expected based Sherman trap.
abundance of
• Grids were placed on the north- and east-facing slopes.
Peromyscus by
50 to >100% • Traps are checked daily for 6 days, with trapping
compared to no-
starting in April and ending in May.
harvest
management. • All mammal species captured are marked with an ear
tag, toe-clip, or with a black marker.
• Increased
availability of soft
mast and insects What we have learned so far:
in early
successional • We have recorded 7135 captures of 14 species. The most predominate
habitat
influences species are deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) and white-footed
Peromyscus
mouse (P. leucopus).
populations.
• Peromyscus spp. increased on 450
400
even-aged and uneven-aged \
\
350 '·
compartments relative to controls j \ I
300
\ I
following the first harvest entry. . I
~ 250
The increase persisted through ~ 200 .,_
i:
the 18 post-treatment years. ~ 150 _I \_ / /
C 100
8 ~
• Environmental factors can lead to
so
large fluctuations within the
population, monitoring long-term
allows the separation of the - No-harvest -&-Uneven-aged management -. Even-aged management
environmental impacts from management impacts.
• Most species move beyond the scale of the stand; thus, the persistence of a
population is dependent on the dynamics across the landscape. As more of
the MOFEP compartments are managed, cumulative effects will be
monitored to further advise forest management.
MOFEP 1st Small Mammal 2nd Future 3rd
Begins Harvest Sampling Harvest Sampling Harvest
1990 1996 2011 2026
1992 1994 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
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