Legacies of Historical Clearcutting, Wind and Salvage Logging in Pisgah State Forest 2016

Disturbance events affect forest composition and structure across a range of spatial and temporal scales, and subsequent forest development may differ after natural, anthropogenic, or compound disturbances. Following large, natural disturbances, salvage logging is a common and often controversial management practice in many regions of the globe. Yet, while the short-term impacts of salvage logging have been studied in many systems, the long-term effects remain unclear. We capitalized on over eighty years of data following an old-growth Tsuga canadensis-Pinus strobus forest in southwestern New Hampshire, USA after the 1938 hurricane, which severely damaged forests across much of New England. To our knowledge, this study provides the longest evaluation of salvage logging impacts, and it highlights developmental trajectories for Tsuga canadensis-Pinus strobus forests under a variety of disturbance histories. Specifically, we examined development from an old-growth condition in 1930 through 2016 across three different disturbance histories: (1) clearcut logging prior to the 1938 hurricane with some subsequent damage by the hurricane (“logged”), (2) severe damage from the 1938 hurricane (“hurricane”), and (3) severe damage from the hurricane followed by salvage logging (“salvaged”). At each site, 2-4 0.05 ha plots were established, and DBH, species, and distance and direction from plot center were recorded for each tree over 10 cm DBH. Stumps and snags were also measured. From the site center, coarse woody material was measured along three 34-m transects using the line-intersect method. Finally, a 1-ha plot was established around the site center, within which all pit-and-mound structures and stumps were recorded as well as boles associated with these structures.