Sci-Comm: Holt Research Forest Oak Seedling Survey

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 area at Holt Research Forest in 2020. This figure was created by Elias Gottman, a 2026 Holt Research Forest Technician.

In recent years, our overstory red oak trees have been in decline due to various factors, including emerging forest pests such as the winter moth and heavy deer predation through browsing. In contrast, we anticipate an increase in white oak trees at HRF due to changing climatic conditions that make the site more favorable to white oak. Therefore, we are often interested in monitoring the growth and health of our oak species.

A red oak seedling.

Thus, the Oak Seedling Surveys began in 2011 after a heavy oak mast year and continued until 2016. The Oak Seedling Surveys are a study of oak seedling survival under conditions of heavy browser predation, strictly by deer. From 2011-2016, oak seedlings were counted and assessed for browsing damage along transects in 1m² plots located within canopy gaps and control sites. This data can be combined with our other datasets, such as the regeneration and timber inventories, to assess how deer browse predation may be impacting forest composition, growth, and health.

A new cohort of white pine seedlings.

Data from the Oak Seedling Surveys can be downloaded for free from the FEMC data archive at www.uvm.edu/femc/data/archive/project/oakseedlings.