Two pressing questions for forestry and conservation biology are whether periodic logging in forest ecosystems significantly changes biodiversity and whether the changes can be mitigated through appropriate harvest methods. Such questions of timber resource management, however, are rarely applied to nonpest insect species, particularly in temperate forest systems. We studied the effects of timber harvest on species richness, abundance, and community composition of forest Lepidoptera (moths). Moths were sampled in 16 forest stands occurring in two watersheds (managed and wilderness) in southeastern Ohio during summer 2000. Stands were chosen from one of four management categories: clear-cut, selectively logged, unlogged, and wilderness. Specifically, we tested the following predictions: (1) shifts in moth community composition would be affected by postharvest changes in stand structure and floristic composition, (2) variation in species richness would be determined by the magnitude of the logging disturbance, and (3) unlogged stands within managed landscapes would contain different species assemblages compared to wilderness stands. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed significant compositional differ- ences among moth communities sampled from forest stands differing in harvest regime. Variation among moth communities was mainly attributable to postharvest changes in stand floristic composition rather than stand structure. Postdisturbance shifts in moth community composition were related to the magnitude of displacement of a given forest stand to earlier successional stages. We also found that both species richness of the overall moth community and several feeding guilds were significantly lower in clear-cut stands, but species richness did not differ between selectively logged and unlogged stands. Thus, selective logging appears to be a better strategy for timber harvest when concern is for maintaining species richness of Lepidoptera within stands. Finally, although no differences were detected in overall species richness or abundance of moths sampled from stands in managed or wil- derness watersheds, the CCA suggested that the surrounding landscape influenced the var- iation in community composition within and among forest stands. Therefore, we suggest that the long-term maintenance of lepidopteran species diversity and community compo- sition within temperate deciduous forests managed for timber may ultimately depend on successful regeneration of harvested stands to precut floristic composition as well as the preservation of larger areas of unlogged forests.

/pdf/effects-of-timber-harvest-on-forest-lepidoptera-community-l92rbdfd79.pdf

Effects of timber harvest on forest lepidoptera: community, guild, and species responses

Composition and diversity of woody vegetation in silvicultural openings of southern Indiana forests

Our current ability to detect and predict changes in forest ecosystem productivity is constrained by several limitations. These include a poor understanding of belowground productivity, the short duration of most analyses, and a need for greater examination of species- or community-specific variability in productivity studies. We quantified aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) over 3 years (1999–2001), and both belowground NPP (BNPP) and total NPP over 2 years (2000–2001) in both mesic and xeric site community types of the mixed mesophytic forest of southeastern Kentucky to examine landscape variability in productivity and its relation with soil resource [water and nitrogen (N)] availability. Across sites, ANPP was significantly correlated with N availability (R2 = 0.58, P = 0.028) while BNPP was best predicted by soil moisture content (R2 = 0.72, P = 0.008). Because of these offsetting patterns, total NPP was unrelated to either soil resource. Interannual variability in growing season precipitation during the study resulted in a 50% decline in mesic site litter production, possibly due to a lag effect following a moderate drought year in 1999. As a result, ANPP in mesic sites declined 27% in 2000 compared to 1999, while xeric sites had no aboveground production differences related to precipitation variability. If global climate change produces more frequent occurrences of drought, then the response of mesic sites to prolonged moisture deficiency and the consequences of shifting carbon (C) allocation on C storage will become important questions.

https://www.fcnym.unlp.edu.ar/catedras/ecocomunidades/PPN.pdf

Above- and Belowground Net Primary Production in a Temperate Mixed Deciduous Forest

https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/ja/ja_elliott016.pdf

The effects of three regeneration harvest methods on plant diversity and soil characteristics in the southern Appalachians

On high quality growing sites in West Virginia, shade intolerant tree species have increased in importance in third-generation forests following clearcutting. We investi- gated the effect of tree species canopy position on the Shannon-Weiner Diversity Index (H'), Pielou's evenness index (0, and species richness (S) using a chronosequence of 13 clearcuts. Two to 26 yr after clearcutting, tree species diversity significantly decreased from 2.07 to 1.83, and evenness decreased from 0.80 to 0.71 while species richness was maintained. As the number of years since harvesting increased, the importance value of oaks (Quercus L.), hickories (Carya Nutt.), American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.), sugar maple (Acersaccha- . rum Marsh.), and black birch (Betula lenta L.) decreased while the importance of yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) increased. In these mixed-species stands with stratified canopies, species importance in overstory versus understory canopy layers was the best indicator of competitive success during stem exclusion. Second-generation forests that had almost equal representation of overstory sugar maple and yellow-poplar prior to harvesting had 43% yellow-poplar and 13% sugar maple overstory importance 22-26 yr after harvest. Forty-five percent of the dominant crown class stems and 54% of the codominant class were yellow- poplar. While sugar maple was also an important (13%) overstory species overall, it had no dominant and few codominant stems and over 30% importance as overtopped trees and in the understory. As these stands progress through the stem exclusion stage, richness and measures of diversity may continue declining as yellow-poplar basal area increases. FOR. SCI. 50(1):54-64.

https://www.fs.fed.us/ne/newtown_square/publications/other_publishers/OCR/ne_2004_brashears001.pdf

An Assessment of Canopy Stratification and Tree Species Diversity Following Clearcutting in Central Appalachian Hardwoods

-Forest regeneration was examined 5 and 11 yr after a clear-cut in a central hardwood forest in eastern Kentucky. Prior evidence suggested that regeneration following clear-cutting in the central hardwood forest region was dominated by stump sprouts, resulting in rapid regeneration of stands which closely resemble the original forest in species composition. Five yr after clear-cut, stump sprouts accounted for 50% of all stems, and remained unchanged 11 yr after clear-cut. During the same 6 yr, relative density of root sprouts increased from 17 to 42% and seedlings decreased from 34 to 8% of all stems. These changes in relative density likely reflect competitive advantages of sprouts over seedlings as well as competition among sprouts on the same root. Despite low numbers, seedlings are an important source of regeneration for some species. Regeneration of overstory species increased in importance relative to understory species during the 6-yr interval between samples. This shift results from higher net loss among stump sprouts of understory than overstory species, and resulted in species composition similar to that of the predisturbance forest except for a much larger component of red maple (Acer rubrum) and lower component of hickories

http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/2426846.pdf

R. N. Muller

Papers

Species composition in a central hardwood forest in Kentucky 11 years after clear-cutting