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Hemlock - Beech - Oak - Pine Forests |
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| | Tools and Links An excellent description of this complex forest type is available from The Natural Communities of New Hampshire (p 59): This is a very common, broadly defined community found on glacial till and terrace soils of low to mid elevations in central and southern New Hampshire with extensions into the White Mountains. It is latitudinally, elevationally, and floristically transitional between northern hardwood forests and Appalachian oak - hickory forests. As with most upland forests of the region, single-tree windthrow is the primary natural disturbance, with occasional larger blowdown from hurricanes. Management Forest Type Descriptions Forest Health Discussion ^ With contributions from Charles Koch, manager of Amherst Conservation Commission forests The transitional hardwood-conifer forest is a very common, broadly defined forest type and is found on glacial till and terrace soils of low to mid elevations (generally below 2,000') in central and southern New Hampshire. It is transitional between northern hardwoods and central hardwoods. Red oak, white pine, and hemlock are most prominent. Sugar maple, yellow birch, and beech are usually absent as primary dominants, as are higher elevation species such as balsam fir and red spruce. Central hardwoods are essentially absent (hickories and southern oaks) or at least are not primary dominants.
My preferred silvicultural system includes small dispersed patch cuts ranging from one quarter to one half acre, producing an all aged forest with even aged patches. Management continues to focus on high quality sawtimber between the patches as well as retention of large trees and other structural components, such as snags and cavity/den trees. |
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