Detecting growth releases of mature retention trees in response to small-scale gap disturbances of known dates in natural-disturbance-based silvicultural systems in Maine

•Rate of disturbance detection within two-years of a known date was 64.1% or better.•Tsuga canadensis and Thuja occidentalis had detection probabilities of ∼80%•High pre-disturbance growth rate reduced detection rates consistently.•Time-lapses before the peak growth rate ranged from 5.4 to 7.2 years on average.