Direct seeded cherrybark oaks quercus falcata var pagodifolia and shumard oaks quercus shumardii battle natural regeneration through 10 years
Johnson, R.L.
Southern Journal of Applied Forestry 8(4): 226-231
1984
Accession: 005166240
Acorns of Shumard (Q. shumardii Buckl.) and cherrybark (Q. falcata var. pagodifolia Ell.) oaks were direct seeded in a 3-acre opening created by cutting and removing all trees .gtoreq. 1.0 in. dbh [diameter, breast height] from a forest in the silty uplands. Field germination of winter-sown acorns was 42% for cherrybark and 55% for Shumard, about twice that of spring-sown acorns. After 10 yr, average height of codominant trees was 23.6 ft for Shumard and 27.0 ft. for cherrybark; average dbh was 1.5 in. for both species. Dominants and codominants in the competing natural stand averaged 40 ft tall and 3.5 in. dbh. Only 5% of the seed spots had oak in a free-to-grow position; most codominant oaks were on higher, drier sites where competition was less severe. On better sites a number of intermediate oaks are still developing, but their future is yet to be determined.