A Silvicultural Guide for the Tolerant Hardwood Forest in Ontario Version 1.1 Cette publication technique nÕest disponible quÕen anglais. © 1998, QueenÕs Printer for Ontario Printed in Ontario, Canada Single copies of this publication are available for $27.50 from the address noted below: Natural Resources Information Centre 300 Water Street P.O. Box 7000 Peterborough, ON K9J 8M5 Current publications of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and price lists, are also available from this office. Telephone inquiries about ministry programs and services should be directed to the Natural Resources Information Centre: Peterborough General Inquiry 1-800-667-1940 Renseignements en fran•ais 1-800-667-1840 FAX (705) 755-1677 Other government publications are available from Publications Ontario, Main Floor, 880 Bay St., Toronto. 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A Silvicultural Guide for the Tolerant Hardwood Forest in Ontario CONTENTS List of Figures List of Tables Preface and Acknowledgments Statement of Environmental Values 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Range and Importance 2.1 Range 2.2 Commercial Importance 2.2.1 Supply 2.2.2 Consumption 2.2.3 Economic value 2.2.4 Significance to the forest industry 3.0 Site 3.1 Climate 3.2 Soils 3.3 Predominant Sites 3.4 Ecosite Classification 4.0 Silvics 4.1 Sugar maple 4.1.1 Habitat 4.1.2 Reproduction 4.1.3 Establishment 4.1.4 Development 4.1.5 Damaging Agents 4.2 American beech 4.2.1 Habitat 4.2.2 Reproduction 4.2.3 Establishment 4.2.4 Development 4.2.5 Damaging Agents 4.3 Yellow birch 4.3.1 Habitat 4.3.2 Reproduction 4.3.3 Establishment 4.3.4 Development 4.3.5 Damaging Agents 4.4 Red oak 4.4.1 Habitat 4.4.2 Reproduction 4.4.3 Establishment 4.4.4 Development 4.4.5 Damaging Agents 4.5 White ash 4.5.1 Habitat 4.5.2 Reproduction 4.5.3 Establishment 4.5.4 Development 4.5.5 Damaging Agents 4.6 Black cherry 4.6.1 Habitat 4.6.2 Reproduction 4.6.3 Establishment 4.6.4 Development 4.6.5 Damaging Agents 4.7 Basswood 4.7.1 Habitat 4.7.2 Reproduction 4.7.3 Establishment 4.7.4 Development 4.7.5 Damaging Agents 4.8 Critical Silvics of Other Commonly Associated Hardwood Species 5.0 Quality Development in Trees 5.1 Assessing Individual Tree Vigour Potential 5.2 Assessing Individual Tree Risk Potential 5.3 Assessing Individual Tree Quality Potential 6.0 Stand Stocking and Structure 6.1 Stand Stocking 6.1.1 Uneven-aged systems 6.1.2 Even-aged systems 6.2 Stand Structure 6.2.1 Uneven-aged systems 6.2.2 Even-aged systems 7.0 Stand Growth and Yield 7.1 Site Quality Assessment 7.2 Individual Tree Estimation 7.3 Forest Level Estimation and Forecasting 7.4 Simulation of Stand Development and Yield 7.5 Management Decision Support 8.0 Genetics 8.1 Genetic Conservation 8.2 Tree/Stand Improvement Strategies 8.2.1 Regeneration from sprouting species 8.2.2 Thinning 8.3 Artificial Regeneration 8.3.1 Potential breeding strategy 8.3.2 Planting improved stock 9.0 Ecological Foundations for Silviculture 9.1 Prescription Development 9.1.1 Silvicultural ground rules 9.1.2 Forest operations prescriptions 9.1.3 Stand analysis 9.1.4 Prescription setting 9.1.5 Tree marking 9.2 Silvicultural Systems 9.2.1 Selection system 9.2.2 Shelterwood system 9.2.3 Clearcut system 9.3 Implementation of the Silvicultural Systems 9.3.1 Selection system 9.3.1.1 Single-tree selection 9.3.1.2 Group selection 9.3.2 Shelterwood system 9.3.3 Clearcut system 9.3.4 Silvicultural system modification by species 9.4 Site Preparation 9.4.1 Mechanical site preparation 9.4.2 Prescribed fire 9.4.3 Chemical site preparation 9.5 Artificial Regeneration 9.5.1 Direct seeding 9.5.2 Planting 9.5.3 Conversion to/from tolerant hardwood working group 9.6 Stand Maintenance 9.6.1 Tending 9.6.1.1 Uneven-aged stands 9.6.1.2 Even-aged stands 9.6.1.3 Converting even-aged to uneven-aged stands 9.6.1.4 Hemlock-hardwood stands 9.6.1.5 Pruning 9.6.1.6 Stump sprouts 9.6.2 Forest Protection 10.0 Habitat Management Considerations 10.1 The Coarse Filter 10.1.1 Landscape scale 10.1.2 Stand scale 10.1.3 Site scale 10.2 The Fine Filter 10.2.1 White-tailed deer 10.2.2 Moose 10.2.3 Pileated woodpecker 10.2.4 American marten 10.2.5 Eagles, ospreys, herons and forest-nesting raptors 11.0 Harvesting Considerations 11.1 Management Implications 11.1.1 Bole wounds caused by bark scraping or peeling 11.1.2 Root breakage 11.1.3 Crown damage resulting from branch breakage 11.1.4 Stem breakage/bending or tilting of trees 11.1.5 Soil/site damage 11.2 Careful Logging Practices 12.0 Management Standards 12.1 Attributes for which Standards are Required 12.1.1 Maintenance of stand development potential 12.1.2 Maintenance of biodiversity 12.1.3 Maintenance of productivity Literature Cited APPENDICIES Glossary of Technical Terms Glossary of Scientific Names List of Figures Figure Title Sectio Page n 2.1.1 Forest regions and sections of Ontario associated with the 2.1 2 tolerant hardwood forest 2.1.2 Botanical ranges of species in the tolerant hardwood forest in 2.1 3-4 Ontario 3.0.1 Precipitation for the 3-month period prior to the start of the 3.1 2 growing season. 3.0.2 Mean temperature of the coldest month of the year 3.1 2 3.0.3 Growing degrees days per year 3.1 3 3.0.4 Site regions of Ontario that support species of the tolerant 3.1 4 hardwoods working group 3.0.5 Bedrock geology of southern Ontario 3.2 6 3.0.6 Ordination diagrams for tolerant hardwood ecosites in 3 regions 3.4 11 of Ontario 4.0.1 Mean per cent cover of sugar maple canopy trees by ecosite 4.1 2 and in relation to soil moisture and fertility based on FEC plots sampled in Ontario 4.0.2 Frequency and per cent cover of sugar maple>10m tall from 4.1 3 FEC plots in Central Ontario by soil texture class 4.0.3 Mean per cent cover of beech canopy trees by ecosite and in 4.2 8 relation to soil moisture and fertility from FEC plots in Central Ontario 4.0.4 Frequency and per cent cover of American beech >10m tall 4.2 9 from FEC plots in Central Ontario by soil texture class 4.0.5 Mean per cent cover of yellow birch canopy trees by ecosite 4.3 12 and in relation to soil moisture and fertility from FEC plots samples in Ontario 4.0.6 Frequency and per cent cover of yellow birch >10m tall from 4.3 13 FEC plots in Central Ontario by soil texture class 4.0.7 Mean per cent cover of red oak canopy trees by ecosite and in 4.4 17 relation to soil moisture and fertility from FEC plots in Central Ontario 4.0.8 Frequency and per cent cover of red oak >10m tall from FEC 4.4 18 plots in Central Ontario by soil texture class. 4.0.9 Mean per cent cover of white ash canopy trees by ecosite and 4.5 21 in relation to soil moisture and fertility from FEC plots samples in Ontario. List of Figures (continued) Figure Title Sectio Page n 4.0.10 Frequency and per cent cover of white ash >10m tall from FEC 4.5 22 plots in Central Ontario by soil texture class 4.0.11 Mean per cent cover of black cherry canopy trees by ecosite 4.6 25 and in relation to soil moisture and fertility from FEC plots sampled in Ontario 4.0.12 Frequency and per cent cover of black cherry >10m tall from 4.6 26 FEC plots in Central Ontario by soil texture class 4.0.13 Mean per cent cover of basswood canopy trees by ecosite and 4.7 29 in relation to soil moisture and fertility from FEC plots sampled in Ontario 4.0.14 Frequency and per cent cover of basswood >10m tall from FEC 4.7 30 plots in Central Ontario by soil texture class 5.0.1 Relationships among two-, four- and six-class tree quality 5.3 6 classification systems 5.0.2 Relationship between interest rate earned and lumber value 5.3 7 increase (1968$) for crop-quality hard maple growing five cm. DBH in ten years 6.0.1 Basal area growth of tolerant hardwoods in Algonquin Park 6.1 3 related to residual stocking 6.0.2 Stand and stocking structure targets recommended for selection 6.2 7 management in Algonquin Region 6.0.3 Comparison of stand structures recommended for selection 6.2 9 management of tolerant hardwoods in Algonquin Region and in the Lake States 6.0.4 Stand- and forest structure developed under regulated even-aged 6.2 10 system 7.0.1 Growth and yield prediction 7.0 2 7.0.2 Simplified example of a stocking guide 7.5 19 9.1.1 Decision pathways for prescribing silvicultural treatments in 9.1 7 tolerant hardwood stands 9.6.1 A decision model to assess maintenance requirements of 9.6 1 developing hardwood stands 10.1.1 Ordination of central Ontario ecosites based on principal 10.1 4 components analysis of wildlife communities List of Figures (continued) Figure Title Sectio Page n 10.1.2 Comparison of the area of hard maple (Mh), yellow birch (By), 10.1 5 other hardwood (Oh), intolerant hardwood (Po/Bw), and conifer dominated forest in the late 1800Õs and in 1990 in 10 townships from central Ontario 10.1.3 Theoretical age class distribution predicted for the mesic 10.1 7 tolerant hardwood forest based on the negative exponential model 10.1.4 Relative basal area of hard maple (Mh), yellow birch (By), 10.1 10 American beech (Be), conifers, and other species in the late 1800s and in 1990 maple dominated forest for the area described in FIGURE 10.1.2 10.1.5 Relationship between the abundance of blackburnian warblers 10.1 13 (BLWA), black throated-green warblers (BTGW),