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Published on: January 26, 2018
Limited salvage logging effects on forest regeneration after moderate-severity windthrow
Chris J Peterson1, Andrea D Leach
1Department of Plant Biology, 2502 Plant Science Building, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA. chris@plantbio.uga.edu
Summary
Salvage logging after natural wind disturbance did not harm forest regeneration or diversity. Moderate combined disturbances showed few negative effects, suggesting greater impacts only occur with higher cumulative severity.
Area of Science:
- Forest Ecology
- Disturbance Ecology
- Silviculture
Background:
- Forests face increasing multiple disturbances, including natural events and human management.
- Salvage logging after natural disturbances is common but its impact on regeneration is understudied.
- Cumulative disturbance severity may alter forest composition and impair regeneration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of salvage logging following natural wind disturbance on forest regeneration.
- To quantify cumulative disturbance severity by combining natural and anthropogenic impacts.
- To assess impacts on seedling/sapling density, species richness, diversity, and composition.
Main Methods:
- Field study in west-central Tennessee, USA, three years post-wind disturbance.
- Comparison of two unsalvaged and two intermediate-intensity salvage-logged sites.
- Calculation of plot-level cumulative disturbance severity (windthrow + logging).
Main Results:
- Seedling/sapling density and species richness were unaffected by cumulative disturbance severity.
- Species diversity showed a marginal increase with higher cumulative severity.
- Compositional change increased significantly with cumulative severity, but no thresholds were observed.
Conclusions:
- Moderate-severity wind disturbance followed by moderate salvage logging had minimal detrimental effects on forest regeneration and diversity.
- Ecological surprises and threshold changes in forest composition are more probable with greater cumulative disturbance severity.
- Forest management strategies should consider the combined impacts of natural and anthropogenic disturbances.
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