Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-3-2023
Department
College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science
Abstract
The American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) has been impacted by the beech bark disease (BBD) complex throughout the northeastern United States for over 100 years, but the disease has been present in the Great Lakes region only for around 20 years, requiring acknowledgement of the evolving context surrounding F. grandifolia. This disease threatens to remove a foundational tree species which is especially important ecologically for wildlife habitat and mast, and as a climax successional species. We review advances in propagation techniques of F. grandifolia with the goal of addressing their use in the rehabilitative restoration of forests affected by BBD. Natural regeneration and artificial methods of propagation are addressed, along with how they may be applied for mitigation. Silvicultural interventions are discussed that may be necessary to protect and release resistant seedlings to promote persistence. An existing framework is used to explore context necessary for decision making in restoration. Nucleated seed orchards of resistant trees may currently be the most effective and practical method for introduction of BBD-resistant F. grandifolia into affected northern hardwood forests.
Publication Title
Sustainability (Switzerland)
Recommended Citation
Myers, A.,
Storer, A. J.,
Dickinson, Y. L.,
&
Bal, T.
(2023).
A Review of Propagation and Restoration Techniques for American Beech and Their Current and Future Application in Mitigation of Beech Bark Disease.
Sustainability (Switzerland),
15(9).
http://doi.org/10.3390/su15097490
Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/michigantech-p/17112
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Version
Publisher's PDF
Publisher's Statement
© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Publisher’s version of record: https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097490