Effects of forest floor amount and composition and acorn placement on emergence and early establishment of white oak

摘要

Two forest floor compositions (pine and oak), five weights (10,20,30,40, and 50 Mg/ha), and three acorn placements (forest floor, soil surface, and buried) were tested in a split-plot, randomized block design. Forest floor composition did not affectseedling emergence, but increasing weight significantly delayed emergence, A significantly lower seedling establishment occurred for the heaviest forest floor, but the overall effects of the forest floor on seedling emergence and properties were fairly minor. Burying acorns 1.5 cm below the soil surface significantly reduced emergence but increased number of leaves in the final flush.