Originally Posted by Cornelius08

From University of Kentucky Forestry dept;

OBJECTIVES: To sustain oak (Quercus spp.) dominated forests in the Central Hardwood Region, it has become apparent that land management practices must improve the resilience of the forest and its oak components to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Successful regeneration of oak dominated systems typically requires the presence of well-developed advance reproduction prior to disturbance. However, throughout much of the eastern United States, successful regeneration of oak has been problematic due to the absence of significant number of large advance reproduction. Researchers have attributed this deficiency to the alteration of historical disturbance regimes and a reduction of oak seedling establishment and growth correlated with development of dense midstory canopies dominated by shade tolerant species. Another issue affecting forest regeneration is the spread of invasive plant species and their ability to inhibit establishment and development of native tree species. These compounding factors have left many maturing oak stands in a condition that may lead to a species compositional shift following disturbance. To reduce the vulnerability of oak dominated forests to health threats, and to enhance their resiliency following disturbance, it is important to develop desirable seedling densities in maturing stands or those where an attack from invasive exotic species is likely. Underplanting of tree seedlings, combined with overstory and/or understory control, can be an effective method for establishing advance reproduction when natural seedling densities are insufficient.