Beech bark disease does not reduce the long-term wood production of two forests contrasting in age, productivity, and structure

•We examined the effects of beech bark disease (BBD) on aboveground wood production.•BBD did not reduce production in middle or late successional forest stands.•At the patch-scale, the degree of tree mortality drove changes in production.•Initial responses to BBD sometimes predicted longer-term changes in production.•BBD management should consider scale and the timing of disease progression.