A study of hardwood regeneration in the roanoke river bottomlands

Abstract

The largest acreages of high-quality bottomland hard- woods in North Carolina are located along the Roanoke River below the Lake Gaston Reservoir. The natural water flow regime of this area has been altered by flood control and hydro-electric power operations. Periodic flooding occurs at unnatural intervals out of phase with the establishment of natural regeneration of forest trees. This study is part of a general appraisal of flooding damage and covers the three major timber types found along the Roanoke River; namely, tupelo-cypress swamps, ashpecan flats, and sweetgum terraces. Nine deer exclosures were constructed to differentiate inundation damage and the deer- browse damage in three major types at three different sec- tions of the river. Nine milacre plots were established inside each exclosure and twelve plots outside the exclosure in which seedlings were tallied by species, number, and height. To compare reproduction to planted stock, nursery-grown seedlings were planted in the corners of the tupelo-cypress and sweetgum milacre plots. Three soil samples were taken at two locations at each exclosure to determine soil charac- teristics.