Long-term effects of clearcutting on tree species composition in an oak-hickory forest

In 1973, a silvicultural clearcut, with and without a post-harvest herbicide treatment, was performed on an upland oak-hickory forest in southern Illinois. Prior to harvest, permanent plots were established, and a survey was conducted to determine stand structure and composition. In 2003, a post-harvest survey was performed using the permanent plots. Relative density and relative basal area were calculated for all oaks and dominant mesic species. Differences in stand structure were compared between the pre-harvest and post-harvest stand. Overall, disturbance-dependent species such as oak appeared to be decreasing while mesic species were increasing.