Effect of Thinning on Growth and Potential Quality of Young White Oak Crop Trees

摘要

Relative changes in several types of stem defects were studied over a 16-year period to determine the effect of thinning intensity on the development of tree quality. Sixty-six sample white oak crop trees represented each of five density levels created by thinning a young white oak stand in Kentucky in 1961. Occurrence of branch-related and other stem defects on the butt 16-foot section was studied from stereo pairs of photographs taken in 1961 and 1977. The number of live and dead branches greater than 0.3 inch in basal diameter increased on all density plots. Except for extremely heavy thinnings, those below C-level stocking, tree quality was not markedly affected by residual stand density.