ORIGINAL: Cornelius08
You mean $$$$ trees.
Actually the PGC choose to choose the tree grouping that was not limited to commercially valuable trees.
ATSSR from two groupings of tree species are available from the Pennsylvania Regeneration
Study. The measure selected for use in deer management is the grouping of dominant canopy
species and species capable of achieving high canopy status. “The composition of the ATSSR
has a direct impact on the future composition of the forest overstory (Marquis and others 1994).
To cover the range of future forest character and client needs, two composition groupings are
used. The first groups tree species by preference for timber management. ...The second
composition grouping represents the forest’s ability to regenerate the existing dominant canopy.
Dominant species include those that contribute at least 2 percent of the State’s total-tree biomass
and are able to grow into the existing canopy; Other High Canopy species include all others that
are capable of attaining canopy dominance” (McWilliams et al. 2004a:13-14).
However, it should be noted that since in the vast majority of cases ,only commercially valuable trees are harvested, those are the species that DCNR and the PGC would like to see regenerating.