Thirty Years of Recovery in a Tornado-damaged Forest in Northern Kentucky

Held, Michael E.; Bryant, William S.; Winstead, Joe E.

doi:10.3101/1098-7096(2006)67[81:tyoria]2.0.co;2

Cited by 4 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Such local comparisons are sound indicators of the impact of past disturbances, such as logging and fire, on forests and their subsequent recovery and in assessing the impact of herbivory and/or disease on forests. This idea of a contemporary forest community record for future studies has been the foundation of many current ecological studies into forest succession (Abrams and Ruffner 1995, Held et al 1998, Burgi et al 2000, Hall et al 2002, Held et al 2006, Sharik et al 2010. Furthermore, these types of studies can provide information on possible future changes and management of forests.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Long-Term Forest Changes in Northeastern Pennsylvania

Held

Jones-Held

2014

Castanea

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The forest communities of northeastern Pennsylvania are diverse due to variation in climate, geologic history, soil types, and topography. This research specifically surveyed the forest communities of the Bear Creek region of southeastern Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to document the current forest community composition and to compare the forests of today to the last known forest survey in this area completed by Donahue in the early 1950s; and (b) to propose explanations for the differences observed between the two survey periods. The upland forest community surveyed by Donahue was dominated by red maple (Acer rubrum ) and oaks (Quercus alba and Quercus rubra), with these three species accounting for 78.4% of all stems recorded. In contrast, the contemporary upland forest is now dominated by oaks (Q. alba and Q. rubra), with a subdominant layer composed of Acer saccharum, A. rubrum, and Sassafras albidum.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Long-Term Forest Changes in Northeastern Pennsylvania

Held

Jones-Held

2014

Castanea

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“…Even though major environmental disturbances such as tornados are now increasing in frequency due to global climate change (Moore, 2017 ; Peterson, 2000a ), the long‐term response of vegetation remains relatively understudied (but see Daniels & Larson, 2020 ; Held et al., 2006 ). In this 17‐year study of a beech‐maple forest in southwestern Ohio, an F3 tornado had long‐lasting impacts on the vegetational composition and continues today to shape the forest's regeneration.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, 40 years after a windstorm initially blew down a stand of old‐growth hardwoods in Michigan, dominance by Acer saccharum (sugar maple) was similar to that found in undisturbed, old‐growth forests in the same region (Dahir & Lorimer, 1996 ). Similarly, recovery of an eastern deciduous maple‐ash‐oak forest in northern Kentucky was followed for 30 years after being struck by an F4 tornado in 1974 (Held et al., 1998 , 2006 ; Held & Bryant, 1989 ; Held & Winstead, 1976 ). In the comparable undamaged forest, sugar maple was dominant with Fraxinus americana (white ash) and Quercus sp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long‐term effects of a tornado: Impacts on woody native vegetation and invasive Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) in an urban forest

Culley,

Bécus,

Cameron

2024

Ecology and Evolution

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As tornados become increasingly common with global climate change, recovery of the woody vegetation in temperate forests is imperative to maintain an intact ecosystem. In many urbanized landscapes, invasive species are also increasing and could interfere with natural recovery from environmental disturbance. We quantified the impact and 17‐year recovery from a major tornado in a temperate deciduous forest. We used vegetational surveys in southwestern Ohio at the Harris M. Benedict Nature Preserve, where approximately a third of this site was damaged by a tornado in 1999. Plots were established in the tornado‐damaged area and the nearby undisturbed forest to examine forest recovery of trees/saplings, shrubs and vines, and tree seedlings during 2003, 2006, 2010, and 2016/2017. The number of tree saplings, shrubs, and vines increased immediately after the tornado, but then declined by 2010, relative to the undisturbed forest. Forest tree recruitment was lower in tornado‐damaged sites with fewer tree seedlings, but more saplings. Tree diversity was also affected by Agrilus planipennis (Emerald Ash borer) which targeted native ash trees within this time period. Despite an initial increase in shrubs and vines in the damaged area, the diversity and density of shrubs approached equality in both sites by 2016. Most shrubs in both sites were the invasive Lonicera maackii (Amur honeysuckle). In tornado sites, honeysuckle thinned out over time, leaving larger shrubs with greater mean basal diameter compared to the undisturbed forest. Other woody invasive species were also more prevalent in the damaged area, but increased in number in both locations by 2017. The forest has the capability to begin to recover from the initial tornado, but its future composition may differ from its initial trajectory due to invasive species, loss of ash trees, and anthropogenic impacts within the urban landscape.

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“…After the 1974 windstorm and the resurvey of the forest immediately following the windstorm, damaged and fallen trees were salvaged along the perimeter of the forest, but not from the interior where subsequent surveys were conducted [17]. Also, no evidence of sprouting or deer browsing was observed during the course of the surveys.…”

Section: Delayed Windstorm Effects Recovery and Regenerationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These longer-term effects of the storm have had an impact on the recovery and regeneration of the forest. Held and Bryant [17] noted trees that had been uprooted and damaged by the windstorm had generated single tree and multiple tree gaps and that many of the wind-damaged trees that remained standing had died and fallen in the period between 1974 and 1985. Based on the 1985 and 1994 surveys, the number of oak trees increased in the subcanopy diameter classes which was also reflected in small increases in oak basal area (Table 4 and Figure 5).…”

Section: Delayed Windstorm Effects Recovery and Regenerationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Immediate and Delayed Effects of Severe Winds on an Old-Growth Forest in Kentucky: A Forty-Year Retrospective

Jones-Held

Held

Winstead

et al. 2019

Forests

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Wind disturbance is an important factor that can affect the development of the forests of the Central Hardwood Region of the United States. However, there have been few long-term studies of the recovery of these systems following wind damage. Long-term studies of protected forest systems, such as Dinsmore Woods in Northern Kentucky, within the fragmented forest of this region are valuable as they provide a resource to document and understand the effect of both abiotic and biotic challenges to forest systems. This study is a 40-year analysis of both overstory and understory changes in the forest system at Dinsmore Woods as the result of damage caused by severe winds in the spring of 1974. The forest was surveyed before and immediately following the windstorm and then at 10-year intervals. Although the windstorm had an immediate effect on the forest, the pattern of damage was complex. The forest canopy (diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 30 cm) experienced an irregular pattern of damage while in the subcanopy (DBH ≤ 30 cm) there was a 25% reduction in total basal area. However, the major effects of the windstorm were delayed and subsequently have altered forest recovery. Ten years following the disturbance declines were seen in total density and basal area in the canopy and subcanopy of the forest as a consequence of windstorm damage. In the past 20 years the total basal area of the canopy has increased and exceeds the pre-disturbance total basal area. In contrast, the subcanopy total basal area continued to decline 20 years post-disturbance and has not recovered. Further openings in the canopy and subcanopy due to the delayed windstorm effects helped to establish a dense understory of native shrubs and sugar maple which have affected tree regeneration and is reflected in the continual decline in species diversity in the subcanopy and sapling strata over the 40-year period.

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Thirty Years of Recovery in a Tornado-damaged Forest in Northern Kentucky

Cited by 4 publications

References 12 publications

Long-Term Forest Changes in Northeastern Pennsylvania

Long-Term Forest Changes in Northeastern Pennsylvania

Long‐term effects of a tornado: Impacts on woody native vegetation and invasive Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) in an urban forest

Immediate and Delayed Effects of Severe Winds on an Old-Growth Forest in Kentucky: A Forty-Year Retrospective

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