United States 

Department of 

Agriculture 

Forest Service 

Northeastern Forest 

Experiment Station Applachian Hardwood C 

Research Paper NE-616 Neil 1. Lamson 

H. Clay Smith 
Abstract 

In previously thinned, even-aged Appalachian hardwood stands, 5-year diameter 

growth of 102 wounded and 102 unwounded codominant crop trees were compared. A wounded crop tree was defined as one with at least one exposed sapwood logging wound at least 100 inch2 in size. An unwounded crop tree of the 

same species and size was selected near each of the 102 wounded trees. Five-year 

diameter growth of wounded crop trees averaged 1.34 inches, while unwounded 

crop trees averaged 1.40 inches. Paired t-test showed no significant differences in 

5-year diameter growth between wounded and unwounded crop trees. 

The Authors 

NEIL I. LAMSON, research forester, received B.S. and M.S. degrees in silviculture 

and forest soils from the State University of New York, College of Environmental 

Science and Forestry, Syracuse. He joined the USDA Forest Service, State and 

Private Forestry, in 1972. Currently he is engaged in timber management research 

at the Northeastern Forest Experiment Station's Timber and Watershed Laboratory at Parsons, West Virginia. 

H. CLAY SMITH is Project Leader of timber management research at the Northeastern Station's Timber and Watershed Laboratory at Parsons. He received 

degrees from West Virginia University and Purdue University, and has been 

engaged in timber management research with the USDA Forest Service 

since 1962. 

Manuscript received for publication 23 February 1988 

Northeastern Forest Experiment Station 

370 Reed Road, Broomall, PA 19008 

May I988 
Introduction 

Intensive management of even-aged Apjalachian hardwood 

stands requires stands to receive one or two commercial 

thinnings. Cut trees are topped after fe~~ihg and then 

skidded tree-length to the deck where thby are bucked. 

Inevitably, some residual trees are wounded during felling 

and/or skidding. Although these logging !wounds are primarily to saplings, some codominant crop trees also are 

wounded (Miller et al. 1984; Lamson et all. 1984; Lamson 

and Miller 1983). The most common typd of wound to crop 

trees is exposed sapwood wounds. We ate concerned about 

such wounds for at least two reasons. ~i;$t, they can be 

infection courts for various fungi. This caln lead to wood 

discoloration and decay, which reduces the amount of highquality lumber produced from wounded &ees. Second, 

exposed sapwood wounds partially girdle the stems and 

may reduce diameter growth. In this paper we examine the 

effects of exposed sapwood wounds on the diameter 

growth of crop trees in Appalachian hardpood stands. 

I 

Methods 

Data were collected from six even-aged sands I in northern 

West Virginia. Three of the stands were 6?-year-old cherrymaple stands. Each of these three stands was thinned to a 

different relative stand density (RSD). Thl remaining three 

stands were 80-year-old mixed Appalachipn hardwood 

stands. The deferment cutting practice was applied to these 

three stands. This is a harvest cut that leahes about 12 to 15 

codominant trees per acre with the intentof removing these 

residuals at the next harvest cut in about b0 years or longer. 

Within each stand, 5-year diameter growth data were available for all residual trees. Also, length and width of all 

exposed sapwood logging wounds were measured immediately after logging. Any codominant tree with at least one 

exposed sapwood wound over 100 inch2 ih size was considered a wounded crop tree. For every wojnded crop tree 

we randomly selected a nearby codominapt crop tree that 

was free of wounds, of the same species, and had a diameter (d.b.h.) within 1.5 inches. This procedure minimizes differences in species, tree size, and residual stand density. 

Species were black cherry, red maple, sugar maple, yellowpoplar, red oak, white oak, chestnut oak and cucumbertree. 

The numbers and average size of trees selected are shown 

in Table 1. 

We tested the differences in 5-year diameter growth using 

a paired t-test with each wounded crop tree and its 

unwounded comparison tree as the pair. 

Results and Discussion 

Five-year diameter growth was not affected by logging 

wounds (Table 1). Periodic diameter growth ranged from 

0.80 to 2.53 inches depending on the stand treatment. The 

differences in 5-year diameter growth between wounded 

and unwounded trees ranged from zero to 0.13 inch, but 

none were significant. Five-year diameter growth for all 

wounded study trees averaged 1.34 inches compared with 

1.40 inches for unwounded comparison trees. 

The 5-year diameter growth of crop trees was not 

decreased by exposed sapwood logging wounds that were 

at least 100 inch* in size. Future diameter growth may not 

be decreased. Pioneering work by Shigo (1969) showed that 

internal chemical processes compartmentalize wounded 

tissues, zoning them off from the rest of the tree. We can 

safely assume that any rot developing from these wounds 

will not spread outward and thereby kill more cambium. 

Although diameter growth was not decreased by logging 

wounds, large wounds are likely to develop rot (Nyland 

1986). Generally, the amount of lumber-value loss in previously wounded trees is not substantial. Ohman (1970) 

reported a 0.7-percent loss in lumber value traceable to 10- 

year-old wounds in yellow-birch. For sugar maple, Hesterberg (1957) found a 3.4-percent loss in lumber value in logs 

wounded 10 and 20 years earlier. Both of these studies 

Table 1.-Number, avedge diameter, and 5-year average diameter growth of wounded and 

unwounded crop trees j 

I 

Stand 

no. 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

i Cover 1 stand No, sample Average diameter Ave. 5-year d.b.h. growth 

tYPe treatment tree pairs Wounded Unwounded Wounded Unwounded 

Cherry-maple 

Cherry-maple 

Cherry-maple 

Mixed hardwoods 

Mixed hardwoods 

Mixed hardwoods 

All stands 

Inches 

75% RSD 13 10.6 10.7 0.80 0.80 

60% RSD 19 10.6 10.9 1.12 1.13 

45% RSD 23 11.5 11.6 1 .09 1.22 

Deferment 12 16.6 16.6 2.53 2.53 

Deferment 5 17.8 16.8 1.72 1.64 

Deferment 30 15.2 15.1 1.36 1.47 

102 13.2 13.3 1.34 1.40 
reported lumber value for butt logs with wounds. Tree-value 

loss traceable to logging wounds would be less than that of 

butt logs. 

We do not believe that exposed sapwood logging wounds 

are serious in even-aged Appalachian hardwood stands. 

Many of the wounded trees are not crop trees. For example, 

in cherry-maple stands thinned to 60 percent RSD there 

were 376 residual trees per acre (1.0+ inch d.b.h). Only 17 (4 

percent) trees at least 11.0 inches d.b.h. received exposed 

sapwood wounds of any size (Lamson et al. 1984). Most of 

the wounded crop trees are not severely wounded. Miller et 

al. (1984) reported that in mixed Appalachian hardwood 

stands thinned to 60 percent RSD, only 7 of 67 residual 

codominant trees per acre (10 percent) received exposed 

sapwood wounds of any size. Only three of these trees (4 

percent) had exposed sapwood wounds larger than 100 

inch? 

Recommendations 

Although exposed sapwood logging wounds did not influence 5-year growth of sawlog-size crop trees, some rot can 

be expected to develop from some of the larger wounds, 

but lumber value losses can be minimized by removing previously wounded trees during subsequent thinnings 

(Ohman 1970). There are some practical recommendations 

to reduce such logging wounds when thinning even-aged 

hardwood stands. Carefully lay out skid roads so that the 

amount of load turning is reduced. Curves in skid roads are 

the site of many exposed sapwood wounds because of the 

wide radius needed to maneuver tree-length material. Most 

exposed sapwood logging wounds occur along skid trails. 

Leave fender trees along the skid roads. These trees help 

keep the load in the skid road. Mark the residual trees 

instead of the trees to be cut. Aho (1983) showed that this 

marking technique can reduce logging wounds because 

attention is drawn to the crop trees, making operators more 

conscious of them. Leave some small pole trees near valuable crop trees. These poles can serve as bumper trees to 

protect the crop trees from skidding wounds. 
Literature Cited ~ ! 

Aho, Paul E.; Fiddler, Gary; Srago, Mike. 1983. Logging 

damage in thinned young-growth truelfir stands in California and recommendations for prevention. Res. Pap. 

PNW-304. Portland, OR: U.S. Departmpnt of Agriculture, 

Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range 

Experiment Station. 8 p. I 

Hesterburg, G. A. 1957. Deterioration of +gar maple following logging damage. Sta. Pap. 51. St. Paul, MN: US. 

Department of Agriculture, Forest ~erdce, Lake States 

Forest Experiment Station. 58 p. I 

Lamson, N. I.; Miller, G. W. 1983. Logging 

nant and codominant residual stems in 

maple stands. In: Proceedings, 4th ann 

hardwoods conference; 1982 Novembf 

KY. Lexington, KY: University of Kentui 

amage to domihinned cherryal central 

9-10; Lexington, 

<y: 32-38. 

Lamson, N. I.; Smith, H. Clay; Miller, Gary V. Residual lb 

stocking not seriously reduced by logging damage from 

thinning of West Virginia cherry-maple btands. Res. Pap. 

NE-541. Broomall, PA: US. Department of Agriculture, 

Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 

7 P. I 

! 

Miller, G. W.; Lamson, N. I.; Brock, S. M. 1984. Logging 

damage associated with thinning central Appalachian 

hardwood stands with a wheeled skidder. In: Peters, P.A.; 

Luchok, J., eds. Proceedings, mountain logging symposium; 1984 June 5-7; Morgantown, WV. Morgantown, WV: 

West Virginia University: 125-131. 

Nyland, Ralph D. 1986. Logging damage during thinning in 

even-aged hardwood stands. In: Smith, H. Clay; Eye, 

Maxine C., eds. Proceedings, guidelines for managing 

immature Appalachian hardwood stands; 1986 May 28- 

30; Morgantown, WV. SAF Publ. 86-02. Morgantown, WV: 

West Virginia University, Cooperative Extension Service, 

and U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: 

150-1 66. 

Ohman, J. H. 1970. Value loss from skidding wounds in 

sugar maple and yellow birch. Journal of Forestry. 68: 

226-230. 

Shigo, A. L.; Larson, E. vH. 1969. A photo guide to the patterns of discoloration and decay in living northern hardwood trees. Res. Pap. NE-127. Upper Darby, PA: U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern 

Forest Experiment Station. 100 p. 

3 

all. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTINGOFFICE: 1988/548-060/60020 
Lamson, Neil I.; smith, H. Clay. 1988. Effect of logging wounds on diameter 

growth of sawlog-size Appalachian hardwood crop trees. Res. Pap. NE616. Broomall, PA: US. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 3 p. 

In previously thinn 

diameter growth oi 

trees were compar 

one exposed sapw 

unwounded crop t 

the 102 wounded t 

averaged 1.34 inch 

Paired t-test show( 

between wounded 

ODC 461 : 562.1: li 

Keywords: Loggin! 

d, even-aged Appalachian hardwood stands, 5-year 

102 wounded and 102 unwounded codominant crop 

d. A wounded crop tree was defined as one with at least 

od logging wound at least 100 inch* in size. An 

!e of the same species and size was selected near each of 

?es. Five-year diameter growth of wounded crop trees 

s, while unwounded crop trees averaged 1.40 inches. 

1 no significant differences in 5-year diameter growth 

~nd unwounded crop trees. 

damage, diameter increment 
Headquarters of the Northeastern Forest Experiment Station are in Broomall, Pa. 

Fild laboratories are maintained at: 

Amherst, Massachusetts, in cooperation with the University of Massachusetts. 

Berea, Kentucky, in cooperation with Berea College. 

Burlington, Vermont, in cooperation with the University of Vermont. 

Delaware, Ohio. 

Durham, New Hampshire, in cooperation with the University of New Hampshire. 

Hamden, Connecticut, in cooperation with Yale University. 

Morgantown, West Virginia, in cooperation with West Virginia University, 

Morgantown. 

Orono, Maine, in cooperation with the University of Maine, Orono. 

Parsons, West Virginia. 

Princeton, West Virginia. 

Syracuse, New York, in cooperation with the State University of New York 

College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry at Syracuse University, 

Syracuse. 

University Park, Pennsylvania, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania State 

University. 

0 Warren, Rennsyfvania. 

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