| This study uses a retrospective approach to examine light attenuation following selection harvesting in a northern hardwood forest in central Ontario. It was also designed to assess how light attenuation varies vertically through the canopy and horizontally across the forest floor. It was expected that the rate of light attenuation would decrease with height and increase with distance from gap center. The results indicate that in gaps, light levels near the forest floor return to pre-harvest levels within 20 years after harvest. The light attenuation was indeed considerably slower in the higher reaches of the canopy, but the light attenuation did not vary with distance from the center of a gap. Thus, regardless of location, the light levels near the forest floor returned to pre-harvest levels within 20 years after harvest. |
