Data and codes to reproduce analysis in "Six year efficacy of silvicultural treatments to control American beech regeneration in stands affected by beech bark disease in Ontario, Canada"

Beech regeneration density has been a difficult challenge for forest managers in north-east North America’s temperate hardwoods. Beech regeneration can outcompete sugar maple and persist in the understory for long periods of time causing gradual reductions in sugar maple overstory abundance. This is especially problematic when combined with the ongoing threat of beech bark disease which causes a very high mortality rate in mature beech. To combat the threat of high levels of beech regeneration, we established an experimental network to investigate the impacts of three beech control methods (control untended, basal bark application of triclopyr, and mechanical removal with brush saw) at two sites with two different timing applications (5 years post single-tree selection harvest, and concurrent with a uniform shelterwood harvest) on beech and sugar maple regeneration density. We found that while both brush saw and basal bark could reduce large beech regeneration at both sites smaller beech regeneration density increased back to pre-tending levels in most other treatment combinations. Medium sugar maple regeneration did increase in the concurrent tending site over six years but regeneration density in all size classes of maple regeneration were similar across all three beech control methods. We found that while these beech control methods can temporarily reduce beech regeneration density, sugar maple was unable to take advantage of any increased growing space on our sites. We conclude that control of beech regeneration alone is not sufficient to stimulate sugar maple regeneration in Central Ontario hardwoods.