Journal ArticleDOI
Patch-size effects on early succession in southern Appalachian forests.
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In this paper, the effects of disturbance size on earl successional community structure and function were examined in a Southern Appalachian forest. And the authors found that solar radiation, soil temperature, and air temperature were all higher in large openings than small openings and increased from edge to center of disturbance patches.Abstract:
Four sizes of forest opening (0.016, 0.08, 0.4, 0.4, and 2.0 ha; two replicates each) were established in a Southern Appalachian forest to examine the effects of disturbance size on earl successional community structure and function. Solar radiation, soil temperature, and air temperature were all higher in large openings than small openings and increased from edge to center of disturbance patches. Aboveground net primary productivity (NPP) was 3—4 times as highe in larger (2.0 ha) as small (0.016 ha) openings, presumably in response to greater light availability in large patches. Stump and root sprouts of tree species accounted for the largest fraction of NPP in all patch sizes. Herbs, vines, shrubs, advance regeneration trees, and tree seedlings had progressively smaller NPP, respectively. Vegetation biomass reached 0.7—2.6% of undistributed forest levels and aboveground NPP reached 17—58% of forest levels by the 2nd yr after cutting. Plant species richness was generally higher in large than small patche...read more
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Journal ArticleDOI
The influence of light and nutrients on foliar phenolics and insect herbivory
TL;DR: The results support earlier studies suggesting that slow- growing, shade-tolerant species tend to have higher levels of phenolics and experience lower levels of herbivory than fast growing, Shade-intolerance species, and similar levels of dogwood phenolics in most microenvironments are indicative of the relatively high photosynthetic efficiency of this species in reduced light environments.
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A gap-based approach for development of silvicultural systems to address ecosystem management objectives
K. Dave Coates,Philip J. Burton +1 more
TL;DR: In this article, a gap-based approach for study response to silvicultural manipulation is proposed, which aids development of cutting prescriptions that maintain functional mature or old-growth conditions; refines and extends our understanding of how biological structures, organisms and ecosystem processes are affected by fine-scale variation within stands; and leads to development of novel silviculture systems that meet timber production objectives, without compromising ecosystem management principles.
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Microsite controls on tree seedling establishment in conifer forest canopy gaps
Andrew N. Gray,Thomas A. Spies +1 more
TL;DR: Tree seedling establishment and growth were studied in experimental canopy gaps to assess the effect of heterogeneity of regeneration microsites within and among gaps in mature conifer forests.
Journal ArticleDOI
Microclimatic and soil moisture responses to gap formation in coastal Douglas-fir forests
TL;DR: Moisture in gaps declined over multiple years, likely caused by encroachment of vegetation within and around gaps, but the variety of microenvironments in large gaps may facilitate diverse plant communities.
Journal ArticleDOI
A long-term study of tree seedling recruitment in southern Appalachian forests: the effects of canopy gaps and shrub understories
TL;DR: This work examined the importance of intermediate-sized gaps and a dense shrub layer on tree seedling recruitment in a southern Appalachian deciduous forest and created 12 canopy gaps under two contrastin...