Rob Lusk
Dr. Eric Zenner
FOR 421
22 November 2013
Silvicultural Prescription Project
Stand Description
The stand I used for this assignment is a 23-acre forest owned by the Pennsylvania
Game Commission in Monroe County Pennsylvania. The stand is fully stocked with
all species combined being 100% stocking per acre, the oaks are also at a 73%
stocking per acre. The total basal area per acre for all species on this site was 164.55
ft2 with oak species making up 95.45 ft2 of the total, showing that oak makes up over
half of the basal area on this stand. Additionally we can see that oak is the dominant
tree in the over story by examining the average d.b.h. per acre of all species 7.70” to
the average d.b.h. of oaks per acre 12.65”. From this we know oak makes up the
majority of the over story canopy with the occasional Eastern White Pine, American
Beech, or Eastern Hemlock thrown in. The intermediate level is heavily composed
of Red Maple, which is also the second most common tree on our stand. The red
maple is also mixed in with Black Gum, Eastern Hemlock, Sweet Birch.
The understory is devoid of any real regeneration with only two plots containing 1
new oak seedling each. The only other regeneration of any kind being that of
conifers which occurred in extremely low numbers on just over half of our plots.
Additionally there is a very low amount of fern cover on the stand, ferns are present
in 95% of the plots but only at a level of 6%. Low Bush Blueberry is also present on
almost every plot measured, accompanied by Mountain Laurel and American Beech
on a couple of plots but the low woody interference only averaged 12.95% across
our stand.
There is no competition in the regeneration plot from grass or sedge cover on any of
the plots. The same is true for grapevine. There was only moderate deer impact on
the stand and there is no site limitations.
Table 1: All species plot analysis
Plot
TPA
TPA SD
Basal
Area
BA SD
Average
Stand
Diameter
Average
Stand
Diameter
SD
Mean
Quadratic
Diameter
Mean
Quadratic
Diameter
SD
Stand
Stocking
Level
1
402.42
15.52
210.00
0.55
9.11
4.49
9.78
2.56
100.00
2
290.92
11.34
190.00
0.39
10.42
4.63
12.04
2.51
100.00
3
1084.19
166.59
130.00
0.69
3.33
1.72
4.69
0.87
100.00
4
357.42
17.76
150.00
0.40
8.24
4.17
8.77
2.03
100.00
5
279.13
10.33
160.00
0.30
9.94
4.36
10.25
2.29
100.00
6
786.12
109.99
160.00
0.41
4.81
1.74
6.11
0.83
100.00
7
475.82
25.14
190.00
0.37
7.92
3.32
8.56
1.64
100.00
8
490.97
16.61
200.00
0.37
8.20
4.13
8.64
2.02
100.00
9
306.71
28.79
140.00
0.40
8.19
3.22
9.15
1.60
100.00
10
298.82
14.21
150.00
0.41
9.12
4.31
9.59
2.31
100.00
11
592.64
49.31
130.00
0.72
5.42
3.17
6.34
1.63
100.00
All
Plots
487.74
42.33
164.55
0.46
7.70
3.57
8.54
1.84
100.00
All
Species
Table 2: Oak species plot analysis
Oa
ks
Plot
TPA
TPA
SD
Basal
Area
BA SD
Average
Stand
Diameter
Average
Stand
Diameter SD
Mean
Quadratic
Diameter
Mean
Quadratic
Diameter
SD
Stand
Stockin
g Level
1
133.23
6.53
110.00
0.41
11.97
5.53
12.30
3.39
90.00
2
154.81
7.59
130.00
0.36
11.98
5.25
12.41
2.94
107.00
3
83.77
7.99
70.00
0.73
11.87
5.66
12.38
4.09
58.00
4
112.32
4.61
90.00
0.31
24.03
5.96
15.65
3.49
60.00
5
350.78
4.13
110.00
0.28
8.74
5.94
9.14
3.50
101.00
6
121.59
6.64
90.00
0.35
11.38
5.37
11.65
3.12
75.00
7
174.94
12.18
110.00
0.36
10.27
4.30
10.74
2.32
95.00
8
111.28
4.11
90.00
0.32
12.02
6.15
12.18
3.79
73.00
9
84.65
2.60
80.00
0.33
13.06
7.02
13.16
4.86
65.00
10
137.24
6.59
100.00
0.40
11.29
5.47
11.56
3.33
83.00
11
77.67
5.54
70.00
0.59
12.51
6.44
12.85
4.40
60.00
All
Plots
140.21
6.23
95.45
0.40
12.65
5.73
12.18
3.57
73.00
Table 3: Shade intolerant plot analysis
Shade
Intolerant
BA SD
Average
Stand
Diameter
Average
Stand
Diameter
SD
Mean
Quadratic
Diameter
Mean
Quadratic
Diameter
SD
Stand
Stocking
Level
Plot
TPA
TPA SD
Basal
Area
1
13.94
3.37
20.00
0.79
15.97
8.24
16.22
6.54
<40
2
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
<40
3
18.34
0.00
10.00
0.00
10.00
0.00
10.00
0.00
<40
4
50.93
0.00
10.00
0.00
6.00
0.00
6.00
0.00
<40
5
31.07
3.96
20.00
0.17
10.82
5.45
10.86
2.80
<40
6
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
<40
7
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
<40
8
50.93
0.00
10.00
0.00
6.00
0.00
6.00
0.00
<40
9
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
<40
10
63.66
27.01
20.00
0.42
7.20
4.00
7.59
1.68
<40
11
120.25
77.03
20.00
1.19
4.66
3.27
5.52
1.68
<40
All
Plots
31.74
10.12
10.00
0.23
5.51
1.91
5.65
1.15
<40
Stand
Stocking
Level
Table 4: Shade tolerant plot analysis
Shade
Tolerant
Plot
TPA
TPA SD
Basal
Area
BA SD
Average
Stand
Diameter
Average
Stand
Diameter SD
Mean
Quadratic
Diameter
1
255.26
17.88
80.00
0.46
7.25
4.24
7.58
Mean
Quadratic
Diameter
SD
2.17
2
136.11
15.16
60.00
0.26
8.64
4.05
8.99
1.76
57
3
982.08
239.18
50.00
0.26
2.47
1.65
3.06
0.45
75
4
194.17
17.49
50.00
0.26
6.69
3.91
11.90
1.64
49
5
97.91
16.66
30.00
0.17
7.33
3.71
7.50
1.39
50
6
664.52
160.73
70.00
0.17
3.61
1.60
4.39
0.43
100
7
300.87
33.18
80.00
0.22
6.55
2.93
6.98
1.10
78
8
328.76
16.26
100.0
0.21
7.25
3.82
7.47
1.52
98
9
222.06
40.82
60.00
0.32
11.31
2.27
7.04
1.19
50
10
97.91
16.66
30.00
0.17
7.33
5.29
7.50
1.39
<40
11
394.72
31.83
40.00
0.05
4.26
2.40
4.31
0.56
43
All
Plots
334.03
55.08
59.09
0.23
6.61
3.26
6.97
1.24
67.9
79
Diameter Distribution by BA
60.000
50.000
BA
40.000
30.000
Tolerant
20.000
Oaks
Intolerant
10.000
0.000
0-4
5-8.
9-12.
13-16.
DBH (in)
17-20.
20-24.
Figure 1:Basal area by diameter distribution classes
Diameter Distribution by TPA
2500.0
TPA
2000.0
1500.0
Tolerant
1000.0
Oaks
Intolerant
500.0
0.0
0-4
5-8.
9-12. 13-16. 17-20. 20-24.
DBH (in)
Figure 2: Trees per acre by diameter distribution classes
Table 5: Density estimates of size classes
Species
Group
Intolerant
Oaks
Tolerant
Sapling (15in.)
114.59
0.00
1948.11
Pole (610in.)
214.93
534.52
1595.16
Small Sawtimber (1116in.)
34.82
781.78
131.11
Large Sawtimber (16+
in.)
10.24
25.35
0.00
Prescription
After completing the data entry and analysis I ran the information gathered through
the Oak-Silvah flow charts in order to determine the best prescription for
regenerating oaks in the stand. The prescription that Oak-Silvah generated for my
stand is “no treatment, monitor acorns, reinventory”. This treatment is
appropriate for this stand because it is between large acorn crops but is not affected
by deer, interfering vegetation, or shade. Additionally the stand does have an
adequate seed source at 95ft2 of basal area/acre for oak and an average oak d.b.h. of
12.6 inches. The stand simply lacks good oak regeneration with stocking of all oak is
less than 50%, it needs time to produce a large acorn crop and subsequent seedling
establishment to occur. At this time it is best not to intervene, and to monitor the
acorn crops and 2-5 years after a good acorn crop inventory the stand to see if a new
group of new oak seedlings to be produced. If a good acorn crop is produced in the
next 5 years and we wait at most 5 years to reinventory after that we will be 10
years removed from the present. At this point I do not expect the stand to look to
much different some thinning due to competition will occur as well as the loss of
some trees potentially due to weather, disease, insect or other factors. However
with no major disturbance we can estimate the tree density to drop slightly due to
competition, the average d.b.h. to increase slightly, and the BA/ acre to increase
slightly. At the end of this prescription we hope to have an oak stocking level of
over 50% for all oak regeneration and this would trigger the next treatment in the
sequence.
I think this is the proper treatment at the time for the stand because all though we
could harvest some mature trees and profit, it would be premature. It is far better
to wait establish a good oak regeneration base as well as let the current oak grow in
size in order to profit greater in the first harvest as well as decades into the future
due to good regeneration.
In a 15-20 year outlook I would imagine the stand to be ready or nearly ready for a
first harvest with it being comprised of mature oaks in the over story, red maple in
the intermediate and oak regeneration in the understory.
I don’t see much cost at all in the prescription do to the fact that for the most part
you are just waiting, you will have to pay someone or take the time yourself to
monitor the accord crops, and conduct an inventory but nothing else should cost
you money. The only other cost that could be ensued is simply the loss in
opportunity cost for not making any money where you could make money
elsewhere potentially.
Monitoring Plan
In order to evaluate whether or not the prescription used is successful we will need
to evaluate it by the amount of oak regeneration created. With the arrival of a good
acorn crop and waiting 2-5 years for seedlings to take hold then inventorying will
tell us whether or not the prescription has worked. If the oaks regeneration for all
oaks reaches a level over 50% we will know the prescription has been successful if
not we will have to reevaluate a management plan.
Prescription Evaluation
I do agree with the prescription given by Oak-Silvah for a couple of reasons. It is
obvious that the regeneration of oak in the stand is extremely low but so is
regeneration competition, because of this I see no harm in allowing the current trees
to grow larger so they will be worth more when they are harvested and also
allowing oak regeneration to develop in the understory following a large acorn crop.
Another reason I agree with the prescription is that it costs very little, if you do not
need the money immediately then you are much better off waiting and sustaining
your forest for the future.
The one change that I would consider making to the prescription would be to
include a thinning from below to take place immediately in order to clear the
understory/intermediate canopy of the abundant red maple. This will serve to
allow more light to the forest floor to enhance the regeneration potential.
Additionally there would be less competition for water, nutrients, and sunlight
between the red maple saplings and the oak seedlings that we want to produce