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The Ecology and Management of
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Atlantic white cedar (AWC), Chamaecyparis thyoides, peat swamps are a globally-threatened ecosystem. The Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (GDSNWR) contained some of the largest remaining AWC stands in the world until August 2003 when Hurricane Isabel caused extensive blow-down. In 2008, the South One Fire began during salvage logging operations and burned approximately 1,887 ha. The purpose of this study was to assess effectiveness of AWC reestablishment techniques by evaluating survival and growth of three types of AWC including rooted cuttings (RC), containerized seedlings (CS), and naturally regenerating seedlings (NR) in salvage-logged portions of the GDSNWR. In May 2010 rooted RC and CS were planted in thirty-two 10 m x 10 m plots. In August 2010 and 2011, height, canopy diameter, stem diameter, shade intensity and browse severity were measured for all planted trees (n = 828) and for up to 18 randomly selected NR in each study plot (n = 330). RC survived better and grew larger than CS (P < 0.001). Higher shade intensity was associated with less growth for each tree type (P < 0.001), and RC grew larger than CS when exposed to moderate and high shade levels. Deer browsing did not significantly affect survival, though browsed trees exhibited significantly less height growth by the end of the study than un-browsed trees (P = 0.001). The results of this study have management implications for establishment of AWC where similar conditions occur.
Chamaecyparis thyoides, Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, rooted cuttings, containerized propagated seedlings, deer browsing, shade intensity