Relationships between advance oak regeneration and biotic and abiotic factors
Songlin Fei (1, 2) and Kim C. Steiner (3)
1. Department of Forestry, 204 T.P. Cooper Building, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546-0073, USA / 2. Corresponding author () / 3. School of Forest Resources, 0301 Forest Resources Building, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802-4302,
USA / Received August 26, 2007; accepted October 9, 2007; published online May 1, 2008
Summary
Relationships between advance regeneration of four tree species (red maple (Acer rubrum L.), white oak (Quercus alba L.), chestnut oak (Q. montana Willd.) and northern red oak (Q. rubra L.)) and biotic (non-tree vegetation and canopy composition) and abiotic (soil series and topographic variables) factors
were investigated in 52, mature mixed-oak stands in the central Appalachians. Aggregate height was used as a composite measure
of regeneration abundance. Analyses were carried out separately for two physiographic provinces. Associations with tree regeneration
were found for all biotic and abiotic factors both in partial models and full models. Red maple was abundant on most of the
sites, but high red maple abundance was commonly associated with wet north-facing slopes with little or no cover of mountain-laurel
(Kalmia latifolia L.) and hay-scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula (Michx.) Moore). Regeneration of the three oak species was greatly favored by the abundance of overstory trees of their own
kind. White oak regeneration was most abundant on south-facing, gentle, lower slopes with soils in the Buchanan series. Chestnut
oak regeneration was more common on south-facing, steep upper slopes with stony soils. There was a positive association between
chestnut oak and huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata (Wangh.) Koch) cover classes. Northern red oak was more abundant on north-facing wet sites with Hazleton soil, and was associated
with low occurrence of mountain-laurel and hay-scented fern.
