Survival and Growth of Seed Trees 20 Years after a Natural Regeneration Cut in the Piedmont of Georgia

An exyerimenr was installed in 1982 ro cornpare six methods of natural regenernlion in rhe Piedrnont of Gcorgia. These nwthods include (I) cienrcur wirh seed in place; (2) clearcu? wirh seed in place andpreharvest burn; (3) seed tree; (4) seed rree wirh yrehantesr burn;. (5) shelremood; and (61 shelrenvood wirh prehawesl burn. Because of eizdarzgered species regularions ill the years nfrer establishment of the sfudy, no seed trees %$ere cut and the seed rree and shsltenvood plots have grown into wo-story stands. Individual tree and srand characteristics were analyzed ro derermine the eakcts of burning and regeneration method on the remaining seed trees afier 20 years. Diameter at breast lzeighr (iibh) growrh was greater on seed free plots than on sheltenuood plots, but burned plots huh increased dbh growth ort sheitenrjood plo~s and decreased dbh growrh on seed tree plots. Total heighr growth also exlzibired an interaction between the burning and regemeratiott merhod bur with an opposite eflecr. Total height growth decreased on burned shelfenvood plols bu~ increased on burned seed rree plots. Shelterwood plors had apllrbximarely double rhe basal area and merchantable green weight of the seed lree plow. The economic nnoiysis indicates the seed rree method leads ro greater financial returns and is less sensitiv~ ro discounl rate variarions than the shelrerwood rne~hod. South. J. Appl. For: 29($):173-178.