Impact of Shade on White Oak (Quercus alba) Seedling Development in Variable Light Conditions

This project aims to examine the growth responses of white oak (Quercus alba) seedlings under varying shade conditions using 0%, 20%, 50%, and 80% shade netting, simulating varying shade levels in forest gaps. This study utilizes half-sib families from the Central Hardwood Region sampled across the west-east moisture/temperature gradient to better understand the genetic response of white oak seedlings to variable light conditions. Survival, height growth, tree biomass, and photosynthetic rate will be quantified across seed sources and shade treatments. The findings of this study will result in a better understanding of the genetic contribution to shade tolerance and how variation in the physiological response to shade translates to gap silviculture.