The Phytosociology of the Deciduous Forests of Extreme Southern Ontario

Abstract

A phytosociological analysis of the deciduous forest region of extreme southern Ontario is presented. One hundred and thirty-one stands were sampled quantitatively t o determine the composition of the tree and sapling strata. A series of environmental characteristics were also measured or were carefully observed where measurement was impractical. The composition of the tree layer was expressed in terms of a series of importance values determined from measures of frequency, density, and dominance or basal area, on a relative basis, with the iinportance values for all trees in a stand summing to 300. An analysis of the relationship of the quantitative characteristics between all stands indicated the futility of the distinct association or distinct c o m m~~n i t y approach to an understanding of forest ecological relationships in the region. An ordination of stands in relatioil to site moisture characteristics gave expression to the ecological tolerance of individual tree species and emphasized the continuous characteristics of forest patterns in the vegetational complex of the area.The forests of southern Ontario were related quantitatively to those of southern Wisconsin utilizing a n index of regional influence based on overall importance for all tree species, in an attempt to interpret regional patterns within the Deciduous Forest Formation of North America.

Proceedings of the American elm restoration workshop 2016

“…For instance, in southern Ontario, U. americana was the leading dominant in forests of wet sites (Maycock 1963). In Connecticut River floodplain forests, U. americana was noted to be codominant with A. saccharinum (Nichols 1916).…”

Early Holocene drought in the Laurentian Great Lakes basin caused hydrologic closure of Georgian Bay

“…3). This mixed forest region is dominated by mesic species (Maycock 1963), including sugar maple, beech, white and red ash, yellow birch, red maple, basswood and eastern hemlock (Rowe 1972). The maple-beechhemlock pollen zone 3 of McAndrews (1994) reflects the vegetation and climate of this region prior to deforestation and the growth of weedy herbs associated with European settlement (Liu 1990).…”

Forest remnants in the Long Point region, Southern Ontario: Tree species diversity and size structure

“…It is currently owned and maintained, with minimal human intervention, by the Long Point Region Conservation Authority (LPRCA, 1986). Historical information and recent surveys of the Backus Woods forest canopy provide information on species composition of the pre-settlement forest (Maycock, 1963;Varga, 1985). A wide variety of species are native to the region and occur in Backus Woods, including a number of more typically southern species whose presence is facilitated in part by the moderating effects of nearby Lake Erie.…”

“…A wide variety of species are native to the region and occur in Backus Woods, including a number of more typically southern species whose presence is facilitated in part by the moderating effects of nearby Lake Erie. The 46 or so native tree species recorded in Backus Woods include Carolinian species at the northernmost limit of their ranges, such as Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica), Sassafras (Sassafras albidum), Cucumber tree (Magnolia acuminata) and Tulip Tree (Liriodendion tulipifera) as well as more northern tree species such as Yellow Birch Table 1 General information about the woodlots and sampled portion of Backus Woods Pine was more important in the pre-settlement landscape, but was heavily harvested by early settlers and seems to be prevented from regaining its former importance in Backus Woods by the absence of frequent, major, natural disturbances needed for establishment (Maycock, 1963;Varga, 1985).…”

“…Backus Woods is recognized for its high diversity (Maycock, 1963;Man and the Biosphere, 2000), is much larger than the fragments sampled, and is managed and protected from human impacts by the regional conservation authority (Long Point Region Conservation Authority, 1986). Therefore we would expect it to be more diverse than the fragments, which are privately owned and have little formal protection.…”