Paulina Murray

The Holt Research Forest (HRF) is an oak-pine forest dominated by eastern white pine and northern red oak. In fact, just before the second group-selection harvest in 2020, white pine accounted for over 45% of the forest by basal area, whereas northern red oak came in second at just over 20%. Although not nearly as prevalent as white pine and red oak, white oak is also a species of interest at HRF and makes up just under 5% of the forest. Figure 1. Pre-harvest overstory composition by basal...

Our S-l0 transects are l0m-wide strips that run the length of the "E" and "I" blocks (Fig. 1). On the S-10s, researchers have collected sapling and crown measurement data. Mapping and measuring tree heights and crowns on the S-10s allows us to better understand tree growth, including the role of regeneration trees within the system, particularly in response to timber harvests.

At Holt Research Forest, technicians conduct understory relevés across the study grid to create a comprehensive snapshot of forest vegetation. Relevés are a standardized vegetation sampling method used to document plant species composition and abundance, allowing researchers to detect changes in vegetation structure over time and in response to management or environmental change.