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Published: 2004

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The success of northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) in the oak-hickory forest type and its growth and development into the overstory is of great concern due to the value of this species as a source of forest products and mast for wildlife. There is a general consensus that rapid oak seedling height growth occurs above certain threshold levels of light, soil moisture, and nutrients. If these specific levels and the relative importance of competition between northern red oak (NRO) seedlings and other individual plant species can be determined, then the implementation of more precise management practices that promote rapid NRO seedling height growth and more cost-efficient competition control treatments could be developed. The detection of genetic family differences among artificially regenerated NRO seedlings could also have future applications in advancing the competitive ability of NRO in the field. This study had three objectives. The first objective was to identify light, soil moisture, and nutrient levels in the immediate vicinity of NRO seedlings that lead to rapid height growth. The second objective was to establish which plant species are the most important competitors limiting these resources and thus the height growth and survival of NRO seedlings. The third objective was to identify potential genetic family differences among the NRO seedlings used in this experiment. This study was conducted on moderately productive sites in mature oak-hickory forests on the University of Tennessee Forestry Experiment Station at Oak Ridge in east Tennessee. A randomized complete block design was used, and the dependent variables were height growth and percent survival for all NRO seedlings. Six treatments were ...