Oak-pine stands in the Southeastern United States were whole-tree harvested to 2.5-cm and 10-cm lower diameter limits in the dormant season and early growing season. The harvest system was comprised of a small feller-buncher, grapple skidders, and a 46-cm whole-tree chipper. The stands were allowed to regenerate naturally with no further treatment following the harvests. Pine regeneration was from seeds-in-place and hardwood regeneration primarily from coppice. The area of mineral soil seedbed was greatest after the 2.5-cm harvests and with dormant season harvesting compared to growing season harvesting. The combination of mineral soil seedbed area and seed availability by season resulted in varying predominance of pine regeneration. Each of the four combinations of harvest season and intensity resulted in distinctive species composition and stand structure 15 years after the harvests. Woody species diversity, as indicated by the Shannon index, was also substantially influenced by the harvest treatments.
Key words: harvesting, site preparation, ecology.
Correspondence: James W. McMinn, USDA Forest Service, 320 Green Street, Athens, GA 30602, U.S.A.