Release of Suppressed Red Spruce Using Canopy Gap Creation
This study reports the results of an understory red spruce release experiment in hardwood-dominated stands that have a small component of understory red spruce. Based on the results, we propose that a tree-centered release approach utilizing small canopy gaps that emulate the historical, gap-phase disturbance regime provides a good strategy for red spruce restoration in hardwood forests where overstory spruce are virtually absent, and where red spruce is largely relegated to the understory.