Trends in woody forest vegetation in Prince William Forest Park, 2006–2017

Schmit, John; Matthews, Elizabeth; Brolis, Andrejs

doi:10.36967/2296913

This report summarizes forest vegetation trends in Prince William Forest Park based on twelve years of monitoring data. One of the key findings of the report is a highly significant decline in saplings and tree seedlings throughout most of the park. This loss of forest regeneration can have profound impacts on the composition of forest communities in the future and can reduce the resilience of the park to respond to stressors such as invasive species, tree pests and diseases, and climate change. A second major finding is that there are highly significant differences between the area burned in the B-Loop fire in 2006 and the rest of the park. The burned portion of the park has a much denser understory with significantly more saplings, seedlings and shrubs and, for many species, less browsing by deer. Additionally, in unburned portions of the park, the sapling layer is typically dominated by fire sensitive mesic species, such as American beech and red maple, whereas in the burned areas fire tolerant oak and hickory species dominate the saplings. Beech leaf disease, a nematode pest capable of killing American beech trees, has recently been found in the park. American beech is the most common tree and sapling species in the park. Declines in this species would lead to a significant reduction in tree regeneration and may provide new opportunities for invasive species to become established. Based on these findings, we make several recommendations for managers. The park should consider implementing a deer management program, with a goal of reducing browsing on seedlings and reversing the decline in forest regeneration. The park should evaluate the use of prescribed fires as a management tool to promote oak and hickory species regeneration, at least in some areas of the park. Finally, while the arrival of beech leaf disease is a serious concern, it is too early to determine its likely impacts. The spread and impacts of this disease should be monitored in the park to determine what management actions may be needed.

Trends in woody forest vegetation in Prince William Forest Park, 2006–2017

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