A test of the delayed oak dominance hypothesis at mid-rotation in developing upland stands

•Most oak replacement stands were dominated by non-oak species after 4 decades.•Mid-rotation trends favored oak in some stands and red maple in others.•Red maple will be more important at rotation age than it was in the prior stands.•Patterns of development were related to region and site quality.•On better sites, delayed oak dominance is slower and less certain.