Wind Throw and Tree Replacement in a Climax Beech-Maple Forest

Abstract

Over a period of 25 seasons, wind throw of trees larger than 25.4 cm dbh at Warren Woods, Michigan, USA, was at the rate of 0.2 trees ha-1 yrC. Beeches Fagus grandifolia Ehrhart larger than 76 cm dbh were more susceptible than smaller trees. In forests where the subcanopy trees are heavily dominated by sugar maple Acer saccharum Marshall and beech, wind throw appears not to maintain canopy diversity; nearly all the replacement trees for current gaps are these two species. Maintenance of canopy diversity in such mature forests is probably by more extensive and severe perturbation. Three to five thousand years would be required for the total soil surface to be disturbed by wind throw.