hardwoods, which so often 

 compete with pines, also 

 produce useful timber 

 products as well as food 

 and habitat for wildlife, and 

 recreation opportunities. 

 Logging practices in south- 

 ern hardwood forests have 

 generally involved the 

 removal of only the higher 

 quality trees, thus greatly 

 reducing the quality and 

 productivity of residual 

 stands. Cutting also has 

 often favored development 

 of undesirable shade- 

 tolerant species, which now 

 dominate many highly 

 productive hardwood sites. 



The research and demon- 

 stration efforts of J. A. 

 Putman, LC. Maisenhelder, 

 J.S. McKnight, and 

 coworkers provided valu- 

 able guidelines for the 

 regeneration and culture of 

 important bottomland hard- 

 woods in both natural 

 stands and in plantations 

 (e.g., Putnam 1951). Studies 

 of cutting methods in 

 bottomland forests have 

 pointed to clearcutting as 

 the best practice if the 

 objective is timber produc- 

 tion (e.g., Johnson 1970). A 

 summary of information on 

 hardwood silviculture indi- 

 cates that optimum species 



mix, high growth rates, and 

 desirable tree form occur in 

 full sunlight, with reproduc- 

 tion from advance growth, 

 sprouts, and new seedlings 

 (Prewitt 1982). Thinning 

 stands helps concentrate 

 growth on selected trees 

 and permits some control 

 of species composition, but 

 even-aged management 

 without thinning has been 

 shown to offer advantages 

 in avoidance of soil damage, 

 epicormic branching, and 

 damage to crop trees. Much 

 information on the silvicul- 

 ture of upland hardwoods 

 also has been developed 

 through studies in Texas 

 (e.g., Walker 1972) and 

 elsewhere (US DA Forest 

 Service 1980a). 



Plantations of cottonwood, 

 sycamore, and yellow poplar 

 have shown much promise 

 in many areas. Researchers 

 have provided valuable 

 information on effects of 

 site and spacing on tree 

 growth, as well as the 

 importance of fertilization, 

 use of cover crops and 

 summer fallow, protection 

 against insects and dis- 

 eases, cultivation to ensure 

 effective weed control, and 

 use of genetically suitable 

 stock (e.g., Maisenhelder 



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