TSI/FSI response question

[Someday isle]

TSI/FSI response question. I posted on my land tour thread that I’m in the process of aggressively opening up the canopy in three separate areas approximately one acre each. I’ve done some hinge cutting and lots of hack n squirt and girdle and squirt to remove about 90% of the canopy in these locations hoping to encourage bedding and develop some understory full of browse and cover. I’m in central Missouri in typical oozark oak and hickory forest - although my land is flat to gently rolling not really in the hills and hollows of the typical Ozark area.

My question is what kind of underbrush growth/development should I expect this spring and into the following year? I’m mostly alone when I’m working or with one other person and prescribed fire isn’t really an option and I’m certainly not comfortable doing a burn - plus my neighbor that corners to me has 25 acres of nothing but red cedar. Too much risk in my opinion for a burn.

In your experience Will the sunlight from the open canopy stimulate much growth in the first year? I’m hoping that after spring green up I can go in with my DR and mow some trails and make sure all the paths I left open are still open for the deer.

 

[Brian662]

I don't have any experience in your region but my guess for early succession would be forbs like golden rod, potentially some thistle, hardwood regen and stump sprouts, as well as briars/brush. All that to say that's only if there aren't any woody invasives present, because they'll be the first to come in heavy from my experience.

 

[Bill]

I'm north of you. When I created what looked like total destruction in my timber . What grew back was mostly what was there. Hickory, Walnut and oaks. Like Brian says I did get some forbs and broad leaf in the beginning. The bad was the birds had planted lots of multiflora rose seed and it came on strong. Don't sweat it if that happens "IMO". It has been shaded out. Not that some isn't still there but its not the same a MFR in an open field.

 

[Someday isle]

I’m pretty fortunate at this point on my property where I don’t seem to have much of an invasive issue that I’m aware of. A friend owns a farm maybe 20 miles from me and they’re loaded with bush honeysuckle and it’s been a problem for them.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

You will probably end up with whatever you already have growing on your field edges or other areas that get full sunlight. That could be great shrubs like wild plums, hazelnut, dogwood, etc., or less desirable plants like buckthorn, boxelders, bush honeysuckle. You will have more groundcover a year from now, but it won't be too thick.

I logged one of my properties hard 4 years ago and it is just starting to have a decent number of shrubs and young trees in the 4' range. The woods went from fully canopied to 80% open, so there was a flush of annual plants/weeds that grew fast and filled in quickly. They slowly start to fade away as perennials like blackcap, wild raspberry and other similar plants take hold. Those plants tend to create natural tree cages to prevent browsing on the young trees and shrubs that are coming next. Once those shrubs and young trees take off, then it starts to get really thick.

I run my brush hog every year on the logging roads that I want to keep open and everything else is filling in nicely.