Using witness trees to assess forest change in southeastern Ohio

2001 ◽  
Vol 31 (10) ◽  
pp. 1708-1718 ◽  
Author(s):  
James M Dyer
Keyword(s):  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Acer Rubrum ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Forest Composition ◽  
Significant Shift ◽  
Quercus Alba ◽  
Forest Change ◽  
Composition And Structure ◽  
Successional Species ◽  
Witness Trees

In 1787, the U.S. Congress authorized the sale of the "Ohio Company Purchase", ca. 5000 km2 in Appalachian Ohio. The land was surveyed using a township and range system shortly thereafter. Data on >5600 witness trees were transcribed from the survey records, and witness tree locations were plotted on a digital map. This information was used to evaluate presettlement forest composition and structure and to investigate vegetation-site relationships before widespread alteration of the forests had taken place. Presettlement conditions were compared with present conditions using forest inventory and analysis (FIA) data. Two hundred years ago, the forests of southeastern Ohio were dominated by large individuals of Quercus alba L., Carya Nutt. spp., Quercus velutina Lam., and Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. These four taxa accounted for 74% of all witness trees. Although almost 70% of the region is forested today, the second-growth forest has witnessed a decrease in Quercus and Carya and an increase in Acer saccharum Marsh., Acer rubrum L., and many early successional species in smaller size classes. Despite the significant shift in forest composition and structure, species in general seem to be occupying similar positions in the present-day landscape compared with the presettlement forest; topographic variables most strongly control species occurrence in this landscape.

Physical and historical determinants of the pre- and post-settlement forests of northwestern Pennsylvania

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (9) ◽  
pp. 1683-1697 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordon G Whitney ◽  
Joseph P DeCant
Keyword(s):  
19Th Century ◽  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Petroleum Industry ◽  
Acer Rubrum ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Quercus Alba ◽  
Old Field ◽  
European Settlement ◽  
Northern Portion ◽  
The 19Th Century

Our analysis of the early land survey records and more recent U.S. Forest Service inventory data documents the changing nature of northwestern Pennsylvania's forests following European settlement. Initially, the northern portion of the four-county study area was dominated by forests of Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. and Acer saccharum Marsh. associated with the richer, finer-textured soils of the rolling Glaciated Appalachian Plateau. Up to 80% of the region was cleared for farming in the 19th century. Marginal farmland was abandoned and reverted to forests in the 20th century. Fires and leached, nutrient-poor soils favored the dominance of Quercus spp. and Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh. in the presettlement forests of the rugged Unglaciated Appalachian Plateaus to the south. The rough nature of the terrain discouraged the early clearance of the plateaus' forests. The advent of the petroleum industry and its insatiable demand for barrels in the 19th century, however, assured the selective removal of the larger (>20 in. (50 cm) DBH) Quercus alba L. from the region's woods. The increasing homogeneity of northwestern Pennsylvania's forests today is due to the sharp decline of the more distinctive indicator species and the rise of a number of opportunistic old-field or gap species, notably Prunus serotina Ehrh. and Acer rubrum L.

Effects of an introduced pathogen on resistance to natural disturbance: beech bark disease and windthrow

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (8) ◽  
pp. 1832-1843 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J Papaik ◽  
Charles D Canham ◽  
Erika F Latty ◽  
Kerry D Woods
Keyword(s):  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Species Coexistence ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Forest Composition ◽  
Direct Result ◽  
Betula Alleghaniensis ◽  
Beech Bark Disease ◽  
Composition And Structure

In forests of eastern North America, introduced pathogens have caused widespread declines in a number of important tree species, including dominant species such as American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.). Most studies have focused on changes in forest composition and structure as a direct result of mortality caused by a pathogen. Our field studies of windthrow resistance in forests of northern New York and northern Michigan demonstrate that resistance of beech trees to windthrow is severely reduced by beech bark disease (BBD). This reduced resistance was primarily due to the increase in the probability of stem breaks of moderately and highly infected beech trees. The severity of BBD infection on individual trees has a significant negative effect on resistance to windthrow. We tested potential consequences of this for long-term composition and structure in these forests by using a simulation model, SORTIE. We found that species such as yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) and eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr.) increased in basal area primarily because of the effect BBD had on the creation of new seedbed substrates. Our results highlight the indirect effects that host-specific pathogens can have on community dynamics and species coexistence in forests.

La végétation forestière du delta de Lanoraie, Québec

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (8) ◽  
pp. 1839-1852 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Lamontagne ◽  
C. Camiré ◽  
C. Ansseau
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Abies Balsamea ◽  
Acer Rubrum ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
The Other ◽  
Moisture Regime ◽  
Acidic Ph ◽  
Mature Trees ◽  
Forest Sites

The vegetation and the soil characteristics of the sandy terraces of the Lanoraie Delta, Quebec, were sampled at 84 forest sites using the methods of Whittaker and Canada Soil Information System. The ordination results show that the soil moisture regime (xeric–hydric) and the pH (3.5–5.0) are the main factors responsible for the spatial distribution of the vegetation. When these results (ordination analysis) and those of the cluster analysis are superimposed, the relationship between the five vegetation groups studied and particular ecological conditions can be seen. Thus, two groups of vegetation dominated by conifers are found in the middle of the terraces. One of these is dominated by Tsuga canadensis and the other by Abies balsamea and Picea rubens. These two groups are found on podzolic, gleyed soils with a mounded microrelief, which are strongly acidic (pH < 3.5) and have a hydric–mesic moisture regime. The remaining three vegetation groups are dominated by deciduous species. Among these, two groups arise from human activities such as logging or farming. One of these is dominated by Fagus grandifolia, Acer saccharum, Acer rubrum, and Quercus rubra and is composed of mature trees. The other is dominated by Pinus strobus, Polulus grandidentata, Populus tremuloides, or Betula papyrifera and is composed of young trees. These two types occupy the edge of the terraces where the topography is flat and the soil podzolic with a moderately to slightly acidic pH (4.0–5.0) and a xeric–mesic moisture regime. Finally the third group, dominated by Acer rubrum, is found on medium acidic (pH = 4.0), gleyed soils with a hydric–mesic moisture regime. This study shows that Acer rubrum is the best suited species for sandy, acidic, and nutrient-poor sites of the Lanoraie Delta. Key words: Lanoraie Delta, multivariate analysis, vegetation classification, Acer rubrum.

La végétation des contreforts des Laurentides : une analyse des gradients écologiques et du niveau successionnel des communautés

1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 391-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvie Gauthier ◽  
Daniel Gagnon
Keyword(s):  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Acer Rubrum ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Community Type ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Community Types ◽  
Topographic Positions ◽  
Vegetation Variation

The forest vegetation of the foothills of the Laurentians was studied to determine which ecological factors are most strongly correlated with vegetation variation. Vegetation and ecological factors were sampled within 78 plots distributed systematically on 19 transects. Ordination and classification analyses show that soil moisture and richness, two factors strongly associated to topographical variations, are the ecological factors that best explain vegetation distribution. Eleven community types were identified. Oligotrophic–xeric community types, characterized by Pinus strobus and Quercus rubra, are generally found in sites at high elevation, where soils are thin, well drained and nutrient poor. The Acer saccharum community types, of the mesotrophic–mesic group, are situated at the base of slopes with deep, rich soils. Fagus grandifolia, Acer rubrum, and Tsuga canadensis characterize a third group of oligotrophic–mesic community types, found on sites with relatively poorly drained and nutrient-poor soils, in topographic positions intermediate to the first two groups. A community type successionnal status index, based on the homogeneity and similarity of the tree and sapling strata, shows that natural and anthropogenic disturbances are also responsible for part of the vegetation variation. Hemlock and beech forests are the most successionnally advanced community types of the oligotrophic–mesic group. On richer soils fed by seepage, the maple–hickory community type is also relatively stable. These results contribute to the ongoing discussion about the eventual outcome of succession on mesic sites in northeastern North America.

scholarly journals Two Hundred Years of Forest Change: Effects of Urbanization on Tree Species Composition and Structure

2015 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Dolan
Keyword(s):  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Tree Planting ◽  
Forest Change ◽  
Additional Species ◽  
Tree Species Composition ◽  
Forested Areas

Despite their importance, the dynamics of urban floras are not well understood, and quantitative historical data are rare. The current study used three data sets for trees in Indianapolis/Marion County, Indiana, U.S., to document change over 200 years to the original beechmaple forest and to examine future implications of contemporary tree planting efforts in light of these changes. Data on tree composition and size collected before significant settlement in the early 1800s are compared with recent surveys of trees in remnant natural areas and with trees found on city streets and rights-of-way. All the species recorded in historical surveys are still present in either remnant natural area forests or among city street trees, but frequencies and sizes have changed, and many additional species are now present. Comparison of the composition of the original forest with current remnants shows a 95% decline of American beech (Fagus grandifolia), the most common species in presettlement forests. Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) has more than doubled in number. Silver maple (Acer saccharinum) is the most important street tree, with eight species of non-native broadleaf trees among the most common on city streets, along with evergreen gymnosperms that are not documented in the presettlement flora. Data for contemporary tree planting efforts in the city show a focus on native species that targets replacement of species that have declined in frequency, especially oaks, in proportions that should be sustainable. Patterns reported here are likely representative of those in many forested areas undergoing land conversion and development, so the findings apply to many cities.

scholarly journals WEEKLY COLD HARDINESS LEVELS OF SEVEN DECIDUOUS HARDWOODS OVER THREE WINTER SEASONS

HortScience ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 25 (9) ◽  
pp. 1143b-1143
Author(s):  
Orville M. Lindstrom
Keyword(s):  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Cold Hardiness ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Acer Rubrum ◽  
Temperature Fluctuations ◽  
Quercus Alba ◽  
Green Ash ◽  
Red Maple ◽  
White Oak ◽  
Response To Temperature

The cold hardiness of seven deciduous hardwoods, red maple (Acer rubrum L.), white oak, (Quercus alba L.), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh.), sweetgum (Liguidambar stryaciflua L.), sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.), river birch (Betula nigra L.) and black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) were evaluated weekly during the fall, winter and spring for three consecutive years. All trees evaluated were established (20-40 years old) and locatd on the Georgia Station Griffin, GA. Each species developed a maximum cold hardiness of at least -30 C by mid-January or early February each season. Response to temperature fluctuations varied with species. Red maple, for example, lost less cold hardiness due to warm mid-winter temperatures than the other species tested, while white oak tended to respond more quickly to the temperature fluctuations. Data will be presented comparing the response of cold hardiness to mid-winter temperature fluctuations for each species for the three year period.

Direct and indirect effects of a dense understory on tree seedling recruitment in temperate forests: habitat-mediated predation versus competition

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 1634-1645 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro A. Royo ◽  
Walter P. Carson
Keyword(s):  
Indirect Effects ◽  
Vegetation Cover ◽  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Resource Competition ◽  
Seedling Recruitment ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Acer Rubrum ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Tree Seedling ◽  
The Impact

In forests characterized by a dense woody and herbaceous understory layer, seedling recruitment is often directly suppressed via interspecific competition. Alternatively, these dense layers may indirectly lower tree recruitment by providing a haven for seed and seedling predators that prey on neighboring plant species. To simultaneously test for resource competition and indirect, habitat-mediated effects, we factorially manipulated understory plant cover (removed versus intact) and predation (exclosures versus controls) at three forested sites. We found that vegetation cover created privileged foraging areas that increased seed removal and seedling predation rates. Predator preference was directly related to seed size with larger seeded species including Prunus serotina Ehrh. and Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. removed more readily than smaller seeded species such as Fraxinus americana L. We found strong species-specific evidence for habitat-mediated indirect effects; establishment of P. serotina and Acer saccharum Marsh.was significantly lower under an intact hay-scented fern ( Dennstaedtia punctilobula (Michx.) T. Moore) canopy when small mammals were present. Competition also played a strong role; both P. serotina and Acer rubrum L. survival as well as A. rubrum emergence were reduced under a fern canopy with or without seed predators. The impact of habitat-mediated indirect effects and resource competition appear to vary predictably based upon predator preferences and differences in the timing of woody seed dispersal and germination relative to vegetation cover phenology. Overall, our results suggest that habitat-mediated indirect effects may be common and occur wherever vegetation provides the potential for creating privileged foraging areas.

scholarly journals Forest Disturbance Types and Current Analogs for Historical Disturbance-Independent Forests

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 136
Author(s):  
Brice B. Hanberry
Keyword(s):  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Forest Disturbance ◽  
Acer Rubrum ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Red Maple ◽  
Disturbance Regimes ◽  
Historical Distribution ◽  
Lower Peninsula

Forest classifications by disturbance permit designation of multiple types of both old growth forests and shorter-lived forests, which auto-replace under severe disturbance, and also identification of loss of the disturbance type and associated forest. Historically, fire and flooding disturbance regimes, or conversely, infrequent disturbance, produced unique forests such as disturbance-independent forests of American beech (Fagus grandifolia), eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), and sugar maple (Acer saccharum) in the Eastern United States. However, disturbance has changed to primarily frequent mechanical overstory disturbance, resulting in novel forests. To demonstrate the transition to no-analog forests after disturbance change, I compared historical tree surveys (ca. 1837 to 1857) to current surveys in the Northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. To establish widespread disturbance change effects, I also located where beech and hemlock are currently most abundant throughout the Eastern US compared to historical distribution of beech–hemlock forests. In the Northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan, beech and hemlock historically were about 30% of all trees, but currently, beech and hemlock are 2% of all trees. Red maple (Acer rubrum) increased from 1% to 11% of all trees and aspen (Populus) increased from 2% to 13% of all trees. The squared-chord difference between historical and current surveys was 0.40, or dissimilar forests. Areas with ≥20% beech and hemlock or ≥15% of either species decreased from about 52 million to 6 million hectares, with current distribution restricted to the Northeastern US. Current forests are dissimilar to historical forests, and this transition appears to be driven by disturbance regimes without historical analogs. Disturbance change may provide perspective in forest management for climate change.

scholarly journals Composition of Oak Stands in the Illinois Ozark Hills 2 Decades following Light Harvesting and No Cutting

2011 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric J. Holzmueller ◽  
John W. Groninger ◽  
Charles M. Ruffner ◽  
Trevor B. Ozier
Keyword(s):  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Light Harvesting ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Specific Response ◽  
Quercus Alba ◽  
White Oak ◽  
Management Regimes ◽  
Initial Sampling

Abstract Light harvesting and no cutting are two common management regimes in oak-dominated forests in the Ozark Hills of southern Illinois. We compared changes in overstory stand composition between 1980 and 2000 among forest inventory plots that were lightly harvested after initial sampling and plots that were uncut during the same time period. Total white oak (Quercus alba L.) basal area increased for both management regimes. Black oak (Quercus velutina Lam.) overstory density decreased, and sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) and American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) density increased for both management regimes. Although overall density of oak was maintained by both management regimes, species and diameter class-specific response varied. Additional silvicultural activities may be necessary to sustain oak in both lightly harvested and uncut plots, with light harvesting providing opportunities to at least partially offset costs.

The 8200-year vegetation history of an urban woodland as reconstructed from pollen and plant remains

Botany ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 95 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Lavoie ◽  
Pierre J.H. Richard
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Scale ◽  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Vegetation History ◽  
Acer Rubrum ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Plant Remains ◽  
Local Plant ◽  
History Of ◽  
Urban Woodland

Data on the long term evolution of urban forests are rare. Using pollen and macrofossil analyses of a sediment core collected in a swampy forest hollow on Île aux Chats, an island in Bois-de-Saraguay woodland park in Montreal (Quebec), the postglacial history of a maple forest was reconstructed at a local spatial scale for the last 8200 years. Results show that after Île aux Chats emerged from the waters of Lake Lampsilis, it was rapidly colonized by a maple forest that was already diversified 8000 years ago. More than half of the vascular species identified in the macrofossil assemblages are absent from the local plant community today, notably coniferous species (Pinus resinosa, Larix laricina, Picea mariana). Other plants have multiplied their populations over time (Tilia americana, Tsuga canadensis, Acer rubrum). The maple forest was probably sustained by a small-scale gap dynamic caused by windthrow, fires having apparently been very rare. Fagus grandifolia, never abundant locally in the past, is observed to be currently expanding, and could eventually compete with Acer saccharum. This study constitutes not only a rare plurimillenial study of an urban woodland in eastern North America, but also of a maple forest at a local spatial scale.

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