Vascular flora of the Fernow Experimental Forest and adjacent portions of the Otter Creek Wilderness Area

Coxe, Robert; Stephenson, Steven L.; Madarish, Darlene M.; Miller, Gary W.

doi:10.2737/ne-gtr-344

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Stands were dominated by Quercus rubra L., Q. alba L., and Q. montana L. and include Acer saccharum Marsh., A. rubrum L., Prunus serotina Ehrh., Fagus grandifolia Ehrh., Tilia americana L., and Betula lenta L. as associated canopy species. The herbaceous layer is species rich (!461 species; Coxe et al 2006), and its response to forest harvesting and nitrogen deposition is well understood (e.g., Gilliam 2002. Mean annual temperature is 98C, precipitation averages 145 cm/yr, and growing season is ;145 days (Coxe et al 2006).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The herbaceous layer is species rich (!461 species; Coxe et al 2006), and its response to forest harvesting and nitrogen deposition is well understood (e.g., Gilliam 2002. Mean annual temperature is 98C, precipitation averages 145 cm/yr, and growing season is ;145 days (Coxe et al 2006). The region is characterized as having a median canopy disturbance interval of 31 years (Schuler and Fajvan 1999) and a fire return interval conservatively estimated at ;50-75 years (T. Schuler, personal communication), although more frequent fires are likely on oak-dominated sites such as ours (Schuler and McClain 2003).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Pervasive interactions between ungulate browsers and disturbance regimes promote temperate forest herbaceous diversity

Royo

Collins

Adams

et al. 2010

Ecology

159

167

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Disruptions to historic disturbance and herbivory regimes have altered plant assemblages in forests worldwide. An emerging consensus suggests that these disruptions often result in impoverished forest biotas. This is particularly true for eastern U.S. deciduous forests where large gaps and understory fires were once relatively common and browsers were far less abundant. Although much research has focused on how disturbance and browsers affect tree diversity, far less attention has been devoted to forest understories where the vast majority (>75%) of the vascular species reside. Here we test the hypothesis that the reintroduction of disturbances resembling historic disturbance regimes and moderate levels of ungulate browsing enhance plant diversity. We explore whether once-common disturbances and their interaction with the top-down influence of browsers can create conditions favorable for the maintenance of a rich herbaceous layer in a region recognized as a temperate biodiversity hotspot in West Virginia, U.S.A. We tested this hypothesis via a factorial experiment whereby we manipulated canopy gaps (presence/absence) of a size typically found in old-growth stands, low-intensity understory fire (burned/unburned), and deer browsing (fenced/unfenced). We tracked the abundance and diversity of more than 140 herb species for six years. Interactions among our treatments were pervasive. The combination of canopy gaps and understory fire increased herbaceous layer richness, cover, and diversity well beyond either disturbance alone. Furthermore, we documented evidence that deer at moderate levels of abundance promote herbaceous richness and abundance by preferentially browsing fast-growing pioneer species that thrive following co-occurring disturbances (i.e., fire and gaps). This finding sharply contrasts with the negative impact browsers have when their populations reach levels well beyond those that occurred for centuries. Although speculative, our results suggest that interactions among fire, canopy gaps, and browsing provided a variable set of habitats and conditions across the landscape that was potentially capable of maintaining much of the plant diversity found in temperate forests.

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Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Pervasive interactions between ungulate browsers and disturbance regimes promote temperate forest herbaceous diversity

Royo

Collins

Adams

et al. 2010

Ecology

159

167

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“…Forest top-soils in eastern Tennessee containing substantial seed banks of E. hieraciifolius were found to have 3.2Á5.3% organic matter, 4Á11 mg g (1 phosphorus, 21Á26% clay, 28Á 43% silt and 31Á51% sand, with a pH of 5.2Á6.0 (Farmer et al 1982). The predominant soil types in eastern mixed forest areas where E. hieraciifolius appears following fires or forest clearance are loams and silt loams originating from acid shales, sandstones and limestones, often acidic with an average soil pH of about 4.5 (Coxe et al 2006). In the wetland complex of the Delaware River (NJ), E. hieraciifolius was found in shrub forest habitats on alluvial and aeolian deposits (Leck et al 1988).…”

Section: Habitatmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Biology of Canadian weeds. 150 Erechtites hieraciifolius (L.) Raf. ex DC.

et al. 2012

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2012. The Biology of Canadian weeds. 150 Erechtites hieraciifolius (L.) Raf. ex DC. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 729Á746.Erechtites hieraciifolius, American burnweed, is a herbaceous annual in the Asteraceae native to forest zones of eastern North America, but introduced to parts of Europe and the Pacific region. Confusion sometimes arises in distinguishing it from other weedy rayless composites in Canada, such as Senecio vulgaris (common groundsel) and Conyza canadensis (Canada fleabane). A pioneer therophyte species of forest zones, it occurs in large numbers when associated with major disturbances such as forest fires, but is also common in areas of smaller scale disturbance such as shores, forest edges and wind-throws. Soil conditions may vary greatly in nutrient content, moisture content, pH and salinity. In Canada, it is generally considered a minor garden and agricultural weed. It is most common in crops such as lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium spp.), cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon), strawberry (Fragaria)ananassa) and vegetable crops; however, it occasionally occurs in other field and forage crops. Impacts include a variety of problems contributing to increased production costs or crop yield losses, including herbicide resistance, resource competition, and as a reservoir harbouring crop pathogens. It has been valued as a medicinal herb for treating a variety of ailments. Populations may grow rapidly in response to disturbances typical of managed landscapes, but E. hieraciifolius can usually be effectively controlled by chemical, cultural or manual weed control tactics.Darbyshire, S. J., Francis, A., DiTommaso, A. et Clements, D. R. 2012. La biologie des mauvaises herbes au Canada. 150 Erechtites hieraciifolius (L.) Raf. ex DC. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 729Á746. L'e´rechtite a`feuilles d'e´pervie`re (Erechtites hieraciifolius) est une herbace´e annuelle de la famille des Aste´race´es indige`ne aux re´gions forestie`res de l'est de l'Ame´rique du Nord, mais qui a e´te´introduite dans certaines parties de l'Europe et du Pacifique. On la confond parfois a`d'autres adventices a`rayons courts de la famille des Compose´es qui poussent au Canada tels le se´nec¸on vulgaire (Senecio vulgaris) et la vergette du Canada (Conyza canadensis). Espe`ce pionnie`re the´rophyte, on en retrouve de grand peuplements aux endroits qui ont subi de profondes perturbations comme un feu de foreˆt, cependant l'espe`ce colonise souvent des zones plus restreintes comme les rivages, la lisie`re des boise´s et les chablis. Les conditions du sol peuvent varier conside´rablement quant a`la concentration d'e´le´ments nutritifs, la teneur en eau, le pH et la salinite´. Au Canada, on la conside`re ge´ne´ralement comme une adventice secondaire dans les jardins et les champs. L'e´rechtite a`feuilles d'e´pervie`re se rencontre le plus souvent dans les cultures comme le bleuet nain (Vaccinium spp.), la canneberge (Vaccinium macrocarpon), la fraise (Fragaria)ananassa) et les plantes maraıˆche`res, cependant, on la de´couvre a`l'occasion dans d'autres grandes ...

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“…and birch (Betula spp.) (51) The herbaceous layer in this forest is highly diverse, with up to 461 plant species recorded (92). Mean annual max temperature is 15.1 °C, mean annual min temperature is 3 ºC, with an average of 122 cm of precipitation (93).…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

Multiple Disturbances, Multiple Legacies: Fire, Canopy Gaps, and Deer Jointly Change the Forest Seed Bank

Reed,

Royo de sedas,

Carson

et al. 2024

Preprint

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The manipulation of pre-colonial disturbances in U.S. forests can play a critical role in determining ecological composition, structure, and function. However, our understanding of how concurrent disturbances influence non-tree species is extremely limited in forests. To this end, we used a long-term, multi-disturbance experiment in an oak dominated forest in West Virginia, U.S.A. that factorially manipulated understory fire, deer fencing, and canopy gaps. Thirteen years after disturbance initiation, we sampled and germinated the seed bank from each disturbance treatment. We found long-term seed banks differed only in plots with understory fire, with effects contingent on canopy gaps and deer fencing. Fire combined with canopy gaps caused a 205% increase in seed abundance. Combined fire, deer fencing, and canopy gaps led to the lowest diversity of all treatments and the dominance of the shrub Rubus in the seed bank, reflecting the continued legacy of extant plants that grew immediately after disturbance. Lastly, in plots with multiple reintroduced disturbances, seed communities were distinct from extant understory species at all time points, highlighting how the seed bank is an important reservoir of biodiversity. Each reintroduced disturbance combination left a unique legacy in the seed bank that will likely influence future forest reorganization following disturbance, adding to our understanding of how disturbances influence forest succession and organization. Our study highlights the many unexpected ways that multiple disturbances can change an understudied, but influential, component of the forest for well over a decade.

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Vascular flora of the Fernow Experimental Forest and adjacent portions of the Otter Creek Wilderness Area

Cited by 3 publications

References 7 publications

Pervasive interactions between ungulate browsers and disturbance regimes promote temperate forest herbaceous diversity

Pervasive interactions between ungulate browsers and disturbance regimes promote temperate forest herbaceous diversity

The Biology of Canadian weeds. 150 Erechtites hieraciifolius (L.) Raf. ex DC.

Multiple Disturbances, Multiple Legacies: Fire, Canopy Gaps, and Deer Jointly Change the Forest Seed Bank

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