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Thirty-five-year timber harvesting disturbance effects on composition and biomass of tupelo-cypress (Nyssa-Taxodium) forested wetlands, southwest Alabama, USA

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Abstract

Thirty-five years post-harvest, effects of harvest disturbances upon tree composition and aboveground biomass were evaluated in a water-tupelo (Nyssa aquatica)- baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) bottomland. The forested wetland, along the Tensaw River, is within the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta in southwest Alabama. Nine replications of four disturbances were evaluated: no harvest reference (REF), clearcutting with helicopter removal (HELI), HELI combined with skidder extraction simulation (SKID), and HELI combined with broadcast herbicide application (glyphosate) to sprouts and seedlings for two years (GLYPH). Thirty-five years post-treatment, species, diameter at breast height (DBH; 1.37 m or above swell) and tree height were measured within treatments and converted to aboveground dry weight biomass. Clip plots were installed for herbaceous and woody stems < 1.37 m. Density and biomass results indicate HELI and SKID are on a trajectory to produce species, densities and biomass similar to REF. GLYPH coppice and seedlings were removed, so GLYPH regenerated from seedbanks and flood disseminated seed. GLYPH has transitioned from an herbaceous freshwater marsh to an open woodland/savanna community. GLYPH exemplifies advantages of coppice for rapid tree regeneration and growth on sites with long hydroperiods. This research demonstrates the capacity for long-term recovery of forested wetland ecosystems following harvest where multiple site/stand factors favored recovery. Adequate stocking of flood tolerant species capable of stump sprouting favored survival of original species. Floods provided annual sediment deposits to offset rutting. Compaction was additionally ameliorated by shrink-swell clays. Finally, nearby forests provided seed sources for areas. Collectively, these factors favored rapid recovery from disturbances.

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Fig. 1

Adapted from USGS

Fig. 2

Adapted from Aust and Lea (1991)

Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Data Availability

The datasets from the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Abbreviations

REF:

No harvest reference

HELI:

Clearcutting with helicopter removal

SKID:

Skidder extraction simulation

GLYPH:

Broadcast spray (glyphosate) of sprouts and seedlings for two years

DBH:

Diameter at breast height

BMP:

Best management practice

MTRD:

Mobile-Tensaw River Delta

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Acknowledgements

Financial support for this research was provided by The National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. (NCASI) and the McIntire-Stennis program of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Logistical support was provided by the Departments of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation and Fish and Wildlife Conservation of the College of Natural Resources and Environment at Virginia Tech. Permission to access the site was provided by the State of Alabama.

Funding

This research received research support from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture McIntire-Stennis Program, the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (NCASI), and the Virginia Tech College of Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, Virginia Tech, 228 Cheatham Hall, 310 W. Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA

    Cora Every, W. Michael Aust, David R. Carter & T. Adam Coates

  2. National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, 104 Bruce Street, Aubrey, TX, 76227, USA

    Erik B. Schilling

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  1. Cora Every
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Contributions

WMA was an original investigator for the previous portions of the study. WMA, DRC, and TAC designed the 35-year remeasurement and remeasurement. WMA, DRC, and CE collected the data on the site. CE drafted the original manuscript as part of her Master of Forestry program, and WMA, DRC, and TAC served as her graduate committee. The original draft was by WMA, DRC, TAC, and EBS. EBS oversaw the financial assistance from NCASI. All authors have read and approved the manuscript.

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Correspondence to W. Michael Aust.

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Drs. Aust, Coates, and Carter have received financial support for research from NCASI, and Dr. Schilling is employed by NCASI.

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Every, C., Aust, W.M., Carter, D.R. et al. Thirty-five-year timber harvesting disturbance effects on composition and biomass of tupelo-cypress (Nyssa-Taxodium) forested wetlands, southwest Alabama, USA. Wetlands 43, 106 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-023-01753-9

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