A simulation of the development and restoration of old-growth structural features in northern hardwoods

Thinning treatments in second-growth forest may be a practical means of accelerating the development of certain old-growth structural features in regions where old stands are presently uncommon. We used CANOPY, an individual-tree model calibrated with data from thinned and unthinned stands, to simulate effects of thinning on growth rates and development of old-growth structural features in second-growth northern hardwoods. Three simulated, moderately heavy thinnings over a period of 45 years nearly doubled the predicted mean radial increment of canopy trees, percent of stand basal area in large trees, and area of canopy gaps. Compared to untreated stands, thinned stands had fewer dead trees per ha, but the dead trees were larger in size and the overall volume of snags and logs was little affected. In a 77-year old even-aged stand, moderately heavy thinning was predicted to reduce the time needed to attain the minimum structural features of an old-growth forest from 79 to 36 years. Simulated treatments in an older, uneven-aged stand gave mixed results; the moderately heavy treatment stimulated individual tree growth, but the removal of some medium-sized canopy trees in conjunction with natural mortality delayed the development of old-growth structure. Total volume of dead wood may still be deficient under the thinning regimes investigated in this study, but predicted live-tree structure 45 years after moderately heavy thinning was typical of stands in the advanced transition and steady-state stages of old-growth development. Results suggest that thinning can substantially accelerate the development of old-growth structure in pole and mature northern hardwoods, but response in older, uneven-aged stands is more modest, and treatments in these stands may need to be more conservative to achieve restoration goals.