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Introductory

SPECIES: Corylus americana | American Hazel
ABBREVIATION : CORAME SYNONYMS : NO-ENTRY SCS PLANT CODE : COAM COMMON NAMES : American hazel Americam filbert American hazelnut TAXONOMY : The currently accepted scientific name for American hazel is Corylus americana Walt. [17,31]. Two subspecific taxa based on morphological differences are found in southwestern Missouri and southeastern Kansas: C. a. var. indehiscens Palm. & Steyerm. and C. a. forma missouriensis (A. DC.) Fern. [18]. LIFE FORM : Shrub FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS : No special status OTHER STATUS : NO-ENTRY COMPILED BY AND DATE : Milo Coladonato, August 1993 LAST REVISED BY AND DATE : NO-ENTRY AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION : Coladonato, Milo. 1993. Corylus americana. In: Remainder of Citation

DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE

SPECIES: Corylus americana | American Hazel
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION : American hazel occurs from Maine west to Saskatchewan, south to eastern Oklahoma, east to Georgia, and north through New England [5,17,31]. ECOSYSTEMS : FRES10 White - red - jack pine FRES11 Spruce - fir FRES14 Oak - pine FRES15 Oak - hickory FRES17 Elm - ash - cottonwood FRES18 Maple - beech - birch FRES19 Aspen - birch STATES : AL AR GA IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO NH NJ NY NC ND OH OK PA RI SC SD TN VT VA WV WI MB ON PQ SK ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS : ALPO BISO BLRI BUFF CATO CUGA CUVA DEWA EFMO FODO GWMP GRSM HOSP INDU MACA MANA MORR NATR NERI OBRI PRWI ROCR SARA SHEN SHIL VOYA WICR BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS : 14 Great Plains KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS : K081 Oak savanna K093 Great Lakes spruce - fir forest K095 Great Lakes pine forest K099 Maple - basswood forest K100 Oak - hickory forest K101 Elm - ash forest K103 Mixed mesophytic forest K104 Appalachian oak forest K106 Northern hardwoods K108 Northern hardwoods - spruce forest K100 Oak - hickory forest K111 Oak - hickory - pine forest K112 Southern mixed forest SAF COVER TYPES : 1 Jack pine 5 Balsam fir 12 Black spruce 13 Black spruce - tamarack 14 Northern pin oak 15 Red pine 16 Aspen 17 Pin cherry 18 Paper birch 20 White pine - northern red oak - red maple 21 Eastern white pine 22 White pine - hemlock 23 Eastern hemlock 24 Hemlock - yellow birch 25 Sugar maple - beech - yellow birch 26 Sugar maple - basswood 27 Sugar maple 30 Red spruce - yellow birch 31 Red spruce - sugar maple - beech 32 Red spruce 35 Paper birch - red spruce - balsam fir 39 Black ash - American elm - red maple 40 Post oak - blackjack oak 42 Bur oak 43 Bear oak 44 Chestnut oak 51 White pine - chestnut oak 52 White oak - black oak - northern red oak 53 White oak 55 Northern red oak 57 Yellow-poplar 58 Yellow-poplar - eastern hemlock 59 Yellow-poplar - white oak - northern red oak 60 Beech - sugar maple 62 Silver maple - American elm 76 Shortleaf pine - oak 78 Virginia pine - oak 108 Red maple 110 Black oak SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES : NO-ENTRY HABITAT TYPES AND PLANT COMMUNITIES : American hazel is a dominant or codominant shrub in maple-basswood (Acer-Tilia) forests of Wisconsin and Minnesota [12]. In Nebraska, American hazel is a dominant shrub in the ecotone of forest and praire [1,33]. It is a dominant understory species in jack pine (Pinus banksiana), paper birch (Betula papyrifera), trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides), and nothern pin oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis) communities of northern Wisconsin [4].

VALUE AND USE

SPECIES: Corylus americana | American Hazel
WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : NO-ENTRY IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : The leaves, twigs, and catkins of American hazel are browsed by deer and moose [11,24]. The nuts are eaten by small mammals, northern bobwhite, ruffed grouse and other large birds, and deer [19.20]. Beaver eat the bark [20]. PALATABILITY : NO-ENTRY NUTRITIONAL VALUE : American hazel has a fairly high protein and energy value. Percentage composition (dry weight) of the nuts is as follows [32]: crude protein 25.81 crude fiber 2.10 available protein 23.25 calcium 0.28 phosphorus 0.39 COVER VALUE : NO-ENTRY VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : NO-ENTRY OTHER USES AND VALUES : American hazel has been cultivated as an ornamental since 1798. It is also commercially cultivated for nut production. The sweet nuts may be eaten raw or ground and made into a cakelike bread [31]. The nuts were used by Native Americans to flavor soups [16]. MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : American hazel often competes with hardwoods and pines for light and moisture [25,27]. Because of shading and agressive growth, it has long been recognized as a major deterent to the successful regeneration of upland conifers [6]. American and beaked hazel (C. cornuta) are responsible for much of the failure of red pine (Pinus resinosa) regeneration in Minnesota [13]. American hazel can be controlled with herbicides [22,25].

BOTANICAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS

SPECIES: Corylus americana | American Hazel
GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS : American hazel is a large, deciduous, rhizomatous shrub from 3 to 10 feet (1-3 m) tall [5,9]. It has a straight trunk with spreading, ascending branches, and can form dense thickets. The leaves are 3 to 5 inches (8-12 cm) long. The male catkins are 8 inches (20 cm) long, straight, slender, and regularly spaced along the upper stem. The female flowers are tiny, almost completely enclosed by bracts, and near the end of the twigs. The acornlike nuts are enclosed in two leafy bracts [20,28]. The roots are typically in the upper 6 inches (15 cm) of soil [6]. Some of the smaller roots run vertically toward the surface and branch profusely into very fine laterals [34]. RAUNKIAER LIFE FORM : Phanerophyte REGENERATION PROCESSES : American hazel reproduces both sexually and asexually. It begins producing seed after the first year, and produces good seed crops every 2 to 3 years. Seed dispersal is chiefly by mammals or birds [5]. Vegetative Reproduction: The most important mode of reproduction of American hazel is from rhizomes [6]. The large, woody rhizomes are 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm) below the surface. Rhizomes give rise to new shoots 1 to 2 feet (30-60 cm) from the parent plant [34]. SITE CHARACTERISTICS : American hazel occurs along streams, hedgerows, meadows, woodlands, roadsides, and forest margins. It grows best on rich, moist, well-drained soils [20,31,34] Common understory associates of American hazel include shagbark hickory (Carya ovata), raspberry (Rubus spp.), smooth sumac (Rhus glabra), chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), arrowwood (Viburnum rafinesquianum), eastern hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana), and dogwood (Cornus spp.) [1,2,10]. SUCCESSIONAL STATUS : Faculative Seral Species American hazel is shade tolerant [33]. It can grow under a light intensity of 15 percent or less; even as low as 1 percent [1]. It is a mid-seral species, and is usually absent in old-growth forest communities [2]. SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT : The flowers of American hazel are formed in the summer and open the following spring, before the leaves emerge. By late summer or early fall, the fertilized flowers develop into fruits [5].

FIRE ECOLOGY

SPECIES: Corylus americana | American Hazel
FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS : Low- to moderate-severity fires top-kill American hazel [7]. It survives fire by sprouting from rhizomes [7,10]. The underground roots and rhizomes can survive low- to moderate-severity fires when the humus is moist. They are relatively shallow, however, and are vulnerable to fire when the humus is dry and combustible [6]. POSTFIRE REGENERATION STRATEGY : Rhizomatous shrub, rhizome in soil Secondary colonizer - off-site seed

FIRE EFFECTS

SPECIES: Corylus americana | American Hazel
IMMEDIATE FIRE EFFECT ON PLANT : The aerial portions of American hazel are easily killed by spring and summer fires [7]. On four oak savanna restoration sites in Minnesota, annual fires reduced the frequency of American hazel from 65 percent on unburned plots to 39 percent on burned plots. Although annual burning increased the density of hazel stems, stems on burned sites were shorter and smaller than stems on unburned sites [3] DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF FIRE EFFECT : NO-ENTRY PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE : American hazel sprouts from rhizomes following fire [6]. A volume equation for determining biomass, growth response, and woody density for American hazel following fire has been developed [8]. DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE : NO-ENTRY FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : In areas where fire has been excluded, a heavy density of American hazel has developed, suppressing desirable tree species and contributing to fuel buildup [10,21]. Repeated summer fires inhibit the ability of American hazel to sprout by exposing and damaging underground stems and roots and exhausting stored food reserves. Single fires may eliminate American hazel if humus is sufficiently dry to be completely consumed [6].

REFERENCES

SPECIES: Corylus americana | American Hazel
REFERENCES : 1. Aikman, John M. 1926. Distribution and structure of the forests of eastern Nebraska. University Studies. 26(1-2): 1-75. [6575] 2. Alban, David H.; Perala, Donald A.; Schlaegel, Bryce E. 1978. Biomass and nutrient distribution in aspen, pine, and spruce stands on the same soil type in Minnesota. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 8: 290-299. [16911] 3. Axelrod, A. N.; Irving, F. D. 1978. Effects of prescribed fire on American hazel at the Cedar Creek natural area in Minnesota. Restoration and Management Notes. 1(2): 14. [2850] 4. Bockheim, J. G.; Jepsen, E. A.; Heisey, D. M. 1991. Nutrient dynamics in decomposing leaf litter of 4 tree species on a sandy soil in northwestern Wisconsin. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 21: 803-812. [14999] 5. Brinkman, Kenneth A. 1974. Corylus L. hazel, filbert. In: Schopmeyer, C. S., technical coordinator. Seeds of woody plants in the United States. Agric. Handb. 450. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: 343-345. [7594] 6. Buckman, Robert E. 1964. Effects of prescribed burning on hazel in Minnesota. Ecology. 45(3): 626-629. [12204] 7. Buckman, Robert E. 1965. Silvicultural use of prescribed burning in the Lake States. In: Proceedings--Society of American Foresters meeting; 1964 September 27 - October 1; Denver, CO. Washington, D.C.: Society of American Foresters: 38-40. [8749] 8. Buckman, Robert E. 1966. Estimation of cubic volume of shrubs (Corylus spp.). Ecology. 47(5): 858-860. [18746] 9. Chapman, William K.; Bessette, Alan E. 1990. Trees and shrubs of the Adirondacks. Utica, NY: North Country Books, Inc. 131 p. [12766] 10. Clark, James S. 1990. Twentieth-century climate change, fire suppression, and forest production and decomposition in northwestern Minnesota. Canadian Journal of Forestry Research. 20: 219-232. [11646] 11. Dalke, Paul D. 1941. The use and availability of the more common winter deer browse plants in the Missouri Ozarks. Transactions, 6th North American Wildlife Conference. 6: 155-160. [17044] 12. Eggler, Willis A. 1938. The maple-basswood forest type in Washburn County, Wisconsin. Ecology. 19(2): 243-263. [6907] 13. Eyre, F. H., ed. 1980. Forest cover types of the United States and Canada. Washington, DC: Society of American Foresters. 148 p. [905] 14. Eyre, F. H.; Zehngraff, Paul. 1948. Red pine management in Minnesota. Circular No. 778. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture. 70 p. [12177] 15. Garrison, George A.; Bjugstad, Ardell J.; Duncan, Don A.; [and others]. 1977. Vegetation and environmental features of forest and range ecosystems. Agric. Handb. 475. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 68 p. [998] 16. Gilmore, Melvin Randolph. 1919. Uses of plants by the Indians of the Missouri River region. 33rd Annual Report. Washington, DC: Bureau of American Ethnology. 154 p. [6928] 17. Gleason, Henry A.; Cronquist, Arthur. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. 2nd ed. New York: New York Botanical Garden. 910 p. [20329] 18. Great Plains Flora Association. 1986. Flora of the Great Plains. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas. 1392 p. [1603] 19. Gullion, G. W. 1970. Ruffed grouse investigations - influence of forest management practices on grouse populations. Upland Game Job No. 45. [St. Paul, MN]: Minnesota Department of Game and Fish. Game Research Quarterly Reports. 30(3): 104-105. [16748] 20. Hunter, Carl G. 1989. Trees, shrubs, and vines of Arkansas. Little Rock, AR: The Ozark Society Foundation. 207 p. [21266] 21. Paulsen, Harold A., Jr.; Miller, John C. 1968. Control of Parry rabbitbrush on mountain grasslands of western Colorado. Journal of Range Management. 21: 175-177. [1844] 22. Krefting, Laurits W. 1962. Use of silvicultural techniques for improving deer habitat in the Lake States. Journal of Forestry. 60(1): 40-42. [17092] 23. Kuchler, A. W. 1964. Manual to accompany the map of potential vegetation of the conterminous United States. Special Publication No. 36. New York: American Geographical Society. 77 p. [1384] 24. Pastor, J.; Dewey, B.; Naiman, R. J.; [and others]. 1993. Moose browsing and soil fertility in the boreal forests of Isle Royale National Park. Ecology. 74(2): 467-480. [20767] 25. Perala, Donald A. 1971. Controlling hazel, aspen suckers, and mountain maple with picloram. Res. Note NC-129. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Forest Experiment Station. 4 p. [3953] 26. Raunkiaer, C. 1934. The life forms of plants and statistical plant geography. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 632 p. [2843] 27. Shirley, Hardy L. 1932. Light intensity in relation to plant growth in a virgin Norway pine forest. Journal of Agricultural Research. 44: 227-244. [10360] 28. Stephens, H. A. 1973. Woody plants of the North Central Plains. Lawrence, KS: The University Press of Kansas. 530 p. [3804] 29. Stickney, Peter F. 1989. Seral origin of species originating in northern Rocky Mountain forests. Unpublished draft on file at: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT; RWU 4403 files. 7 p. [20090] 30. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. 1982. National list of scientific plant names. Vol. 1. List of plant names. SCS-TP-159. Washington, DC. 416 p. [11573] 31. Vines, Robert A. 1960. Trees, shrubs, and woody vines of the Southwest. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. 1104 p. [7707] 32. Wainio, Walter W.; Forbes, E. B. 1941. The chemical composition of forest fruits and nuts from Pennsylvania. Journal of Agricultural Research. 62(10): 627-635. [5401] 33. Weaver, J. E. 1968. Prairie plants and their environment: A fifty-year study in the Midwest. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. 276 p. [17547] 34. Weaver, J. E.; Kramer, Joseph. 1932. Root system of Quercus macrocarpa in relation to the invasion of prairie. Botanical Gazette. 94: 51-85. [274]

Index

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