Factors Affecting Hardwoods

Factors Affecting regeneration of hard mast species in the central hardwood region

Factors Affecting Regeneration of Hard Mast Species in the Central Hardwood Region project, photo of forest groundcover.Forests in the eastern United States is in danger of widespread conversion from oak, a foundational species group, to more shade tolerant trees due to fire suppression, poor harvesting practices, and a variety of other factors. This shift would reduce ecological resilience and significantly change the ecological and economic services provided by these forests.

This project gained in-depth knowledge of the regeneration dynamics of both oak (Quercus) and American chestnut (Castanea dentata), a former foundational species in eastern forests. Using both the Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment and the Crane Expanding Gap studies, researchers are monitoring regeneration survival and growth after many management practices.

This research demonstrated that the blight-resistant American chestnut can be successfully reintroduced to understories in eastern deciduous forests due to its ability to thrive in shady environments. Oak, on the other hand, requires more disturbance and germinates better with assistance of scatter hoarding small mammals.

Collaboration, research was presented at 5 conferences or educational meetings.
The three scientific publications that came from this project included contributors from seven universities as well as the USDA Forest Service and the Canadian Ministry of Forest and Wildlife.
In this project’s final year, research was presented at five conferences or educational meetings
 
 
Project Director: Dr. Michael Saunders
10/01/2012 - 09/30/2017

Print/Research
Impact, 180 species of birds and ammals use oak acorns for food, 35% oak species timber sales nationally, 50 to 100 year studies.
 
Over the last 100 years, forests in the Eastern U.S. have lost or are in danger of losing several foundational tree species, including American chestnut and oak.
Species of birds and mammals that use oak acorns as food
Oak species provided 35% of the timber sales nationally from 2013-2017
The Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment and Crane Expanding Gap studies are intended to last 50-100 years to monitor regeneration dynamics

Learn More About Us

An overhead photo of the HTIRC's elite white oak orchard at Richard G. Lugar Farm
HTIRC Partners with Tree Pro to Distribute Hardwood Seedlings

The Purdue Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center has signed a commercial partnership...

Read More
Southern Live Oak mature tree pictured next to a seedling
Research Aims to Assist with Southern Live Oak Restoration

How do planting density, fertilizer and mulch affect the growth of southern live oak restoration...

Read More
Hellbender in the wild
Restoring Indiana's Hellbenders

The eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis) is a large, fully aquatic...

Read More
2018 master's alumnus Daniel Bird sits at a computer; the cover art Bird created for the special Indigenous Wildlife Management in North America issue of The Journal of Wildlife Management
Master's Alum Daniel Bird Contributes to Indigenous Wildlife Management Journal Issue

Daniel Bird, who was raised on the Santo Domingo-Kewa Pueblo Reservation in New Mexico and is an...

Read More
Kaitlyn Young sets up a motus tower; a red-eyed vireo and a yellow warbler
Motus Towers Detect, Track Variety of Bird Species

Purdue FNR installed Motus towers, which pick up the signature of radio transmitters on a variety...

Read More
Hand-held device with a screen displaying colored thermal camera images
Purdue wildlife and aviation programs collaborate on deer population study

An outbreak of often-fatal epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) afflicted more than 500...

Read More