Initial Response of Individual Soft Mast-producing Plants to Different Forest Regeneration Methods in the Ouachita Mountains

INTRODUCTION Quality forest habitats provide not only the vegetation structure needed by wildlife, but also adequate resources such as food and water. Soft mast is an important component of forest wildlife habitat, comprising a great percentage of the seasonal diets of many wildlife species (Martin and others 1951). Soft mast from different plant species varies in nutritional quality (Halls 1977), and individual wildlife species may prefer certain types of mast. Thus, wildlife managers need to know what factors affect the abundance and production of individual soft mast species.