Semester
Summer
Date of Graduation
2001
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
MS
College
Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design
Department
Wood Science and Technology
Committee Chair
Mary Ann Fajvan.
Abstract
The clearcutting of second-growth Appalachian hardwood forests may cause a reduction in species diversity of the new cohort. This study measured changes in species composition, diversity, and stand structural characteristics following clearcutting of a second-growth hardwood forest. To evaluate the temporal changes in importance of central Appalachian hardwood tree species, thirteen clearcuts on good excellent sites in West Virginia were inventoried before harvesting and 2--26 years after harvesting. Shannon-Weaver's diversity index (H'), Pielou's evenness index (E), and species richness (S) were calculated before and after clearcutting. Species diversity and evenness has decreased, and species richness has remained stable following clearcutting. Species such as Liriodendron tulipifera, Betula lenta , and Robinia pseudoacacia increased in importance in the postharvest stands, whereas Quercus rubra, Carya spp., and Fagus grandifolia decreased. The overstory of the future stand will be dominated by Liriodendron tulipifera and Tilia americana, and the understory will be primarily Acer saccharum.
Recommended Citation
Brashears, Mark Benjamin, "Changes in stand structure and species diversity following clearcutting in central Appalachian hardwoods" (2001). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 1151.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/1151