Throughfall chemistry of an ecotonal forest on the edge of the Great Plains

1998 ◽  
Vol 28 (10) ◽  
pp. 1456-1463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven P Hamburg ◽  
Teng-Chiu Lin

Throughfall concentrations and fluxes were examined in an oak-hickory forest on the western ecotone of the eastern deciduous forest biome during 1989. Throughfall chemistry from event-based sampling of three stands was compared with the chemistry of incident precipitation. During the dormant season, only one of eight elements had significantly higher flux under the forest canopy relative to precipitation. During the growing season, six elements had significantly higher flux in throughfall relative to incident precipitation, and nitrogen had a significantly lower flux. Rates of dry deposition of pedogenically derived elements were high relative to forests further to the east, while rates of deposition of anthropogenically derived elements were low in comparison to these same forests. About 50% of the inorganic nitrogen in precipitation was taken up by the canopy, the highest value reported for an eastern deciduous forest. There were significant differences in throughfall chemistry among the three stands, possibly due to differences in canopy structure and (or) species composition. Multiple regression analysis of the throughfall patterns showed significant correlations of throughfall chemistry with the length of the antecedent dry period and rainfall quantity for all elements examined.

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (17) ◽  
pp. 4703 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omkar Joshi ◽  
Rodney E. Will ◽  
Chris B. Zou ◽  
Gehendra Kharel

The Cross-Timbers region of the United States, situated in the southern Great Plains along the western edge of the eastern deciduous forest, was historically Quercus-dominated open forest interspersed with tallgrass prairie and shrubs communities. The historical structure of the Cross- Timbers forests in this region has been altered, mainly due to fire exclusion, such that the current structure is closed-canopy and includes a midstory of fire-intolerant species. This change has reduced many of the important ecosystem services provided. This paper synthesizes existing literature on the Cross-Timbers with the aim of summarizing the current state of Cross-Timbers management related to sustaining ecosystem services and identifying potential research topics and directions needed. Specifically, we consider the ecological, management, and socio-economic issues. In addition, we theorize how the adoption of active forest management will affect ecosystem services and structure of the Cross-Timbers forests.


2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren A. Smith ◽  
David M. Eissenstat ◽  
Margot W. Kaye

In forested ecosystems, topography and tree species contribute to spatial variability in carbon (C) dynamics through differential rates of C uptake and storage; therefore, estimates of species-specific and spatial variability in C can strengthen ecosystem budgets. To produce such estimates, we deconstructed watershed-scale C and component pools (e.g., wood biomass, litter) and fluxes at a fine scale using a small mixed deciduous forest catchment to determine the variation due to topographic position and species. Factors affecting fluxes included aspect, slope curvature, tree species contributions, and litter production. Annual C uptake into wood varied across the catchment from 0 to 34 kg C·year−1 and was 20% greater on southern aspects than northern ones and 33% greater in swales than non-swale slopes. Of the more than 20 tree species found in the forest canopy of the catchment, highest C uptake in woody biomass was measured in Quercus rubra L. growing in swales, followed by Quercus prinus L. syn. growing on the southern aspect, with the lowest aboveground wood increment measured in Pinus at higher elevations on non-swale slopes. Quercus leaf litter moved from where it dropped into litter traps to where it settled on the forest floor, shifting the location of litter C inputs to the soil. Local variation in aboveground C rivals regional variation across regions and has the potential to introduce error when scaling C measures from points to landscapes.


Fire Ecology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo H. Jorge ◽  
Sara E. Sweeten ◽  
Michael C. True ◽  
Samuel R. Freeze ◽  
Michael J. Cherry ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Understanding the effects of disturbance events, land cover, and weather on wildlife activity is fundamental to wildlife management. Currently, in North America, bats are of high conservation concern due to white-nose syndrome and wind-energy development impact, but the role of fire as a potential additional stressor has received less focus. Although limited, the vast majority of research on bats and fire in the southeastern United States has been conducted during the growing season, thereby creating data gaps for bats in the region relative to overwintering conditions, particularly for non-hibernating species. The longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) ecosystem is an archetypal fire-mediated ecosystem that has been the focus of landscape-level restoration in the Southeast. Although historically fires predominately occurred during the growing season in these systems, dormant-season fire is more widely utilized for easier application and control as a means of habitat management in the region. To assess the impacts of fire and environmental factors on bat activity on Camp Blanding Joint Training Center (CB) in northern Florida, USA, we deployed 34 acoustic detectors across CB and recorded data from 26 February to 3 April 2019, and from 10 December 2019 to 14 January 2020. Results We identified eight bat species native to the region as present at CB. Bat activity was related to the proximity of mesic habitats as well as the presence of pine or deciduous forest types, depending on species morphology (i.e., body size, wing-loading, and echolocation call frequency). Activity for all bat species was influenced positively by either time since fire or mean fire return interval. Conclusion Overall, our results suggested that fire use provides a diverse landscape pattern at CB that maintains mesic, deciduous habitat within the larger pine forest matrix, thereby supporting the diverse bat community at CB during the dormant season and early spring.


1967 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 517-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. R. Wilkinson

Dermacentor andersoni has been collected north of Jasper, Alberta, close to 54° N. and near 53° N. in British Columbia. Spread to the north and northwest is probably limited by low summer soil temperatures, which would act principally by slowing egg development, thus disrupting the seasonal cycle of the tick. To the southwest, mild winters may fail to release diapause at the correct time of year. Aspect and slope are important factors. Altitude spread of records is from 1000–7000 ft. The most generally applicable description of its distribution is the ecotone between western grassland and moister regions, including clearings and rocky outcrops m the montane and Columbia forests, and shrubby areas of the prairies. In British Columbia, a series of randomly selected transects indicated a strong association between the tick's presence and several species of shrubs growing without tree shade.Each bioclimatic zone tends to have a characteristic group of rodents as main hosts of the immature stages. The prairie and montane regions differ in the indigenous hosts available to the adult tick.East of 105° D. andersoni is replaced by D. variabilis, which is adapted to the more humid summers of the eastern deciduous forest zones, and differs considerably from D. andersoni in its phenology. There are no reliable records of indigenous D. variabilis north of 52° latitude.D. albipictus occurs from the east to the west coast. Because of the winter activity of its larvae, allowing the whole summer for egg development, it is able to penetrate much farther north than the other two species. There are two records close to 60° latitude.


2022 ◽  
Vol 505 ◽  
pp. 119945
Author(s):  
Jian Zhang ◽  
Zhaochen Zhang ◽  
James A. Lutz ◽  
Chengjin Chu ◽  
Jianbo Hu ◽  
...  

2004 ◽  
Vol 84 (4) ◽  
pp. 1221-1233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerry G. Chmielewski ◽  
John C. Semple

Solidago nemoralis, the gray goldenrod, is a polycarpic hemicryptophyte that reproduces vegetatively from branched caudices. This native North American species is morphologically variable throughout its range, and includes an eastern (ssp. nemoralis) and western (ssp. decemflora) race. The eastern subspecies occurs throughout the eastern deciduous forest region of North America and is commonly diploid, though tetraploids do occur throughout. The western race typically occurs on the prairies and is strictly tetraploid. The species occupies riparian habitats, rock outcrops and open fields and roadsides and grows best in well-drained sandy soils in full sunlight. Although the species is weedy in both Canada and the United States it is not noxious. Key words: Solidago nemoralis, gray goldenrod, verge d'or des bois, Asteraceae, Compositae


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