Can an experienced planter make a difference in wetland forest restoration?

K. W. McLeod and M. R. Reed

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Planting Strategies

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Equally spaced planting location

Random species selection (ESL/RSS)

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Equal spaced planting location

Intellectual species selection (ESL/ISS)

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Intellectually selected planting location,

Intellectual species selection (ISL/ISS)

Five replicate plots of each planting strategy with 4 trees per species in each plot

Species:

Carya aquatica, water hickory, CaAq

Nyssa aquatica, water tupelo, NyAq

Quercus lyrata, overcup oak, QuLy

Q. michauxii, swamp chestnut oak, QuMi

Taxodium distichum, baldcypress, TaDi

Plots were selected to have one edge bordering a water source to create a potential hydrological gradient in planting locations. Flood tolerance of a species could be used as a factor in species selection, giving an advantage to a intelligently selected tree species for a particular location.

Taxodium distichum saplings frequently split the tree shelters due to large diameter growth (12.4 cm dbh of this individual). All saplings were planted in tree shelters to provide protection from herbivory.