Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Spatiotemporal dynamics of coarse woody debris in a topographically complex, old-growth, deciduous forest

Davis, Jessica G.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1405199554

Abstract Details

2014, Master of Science (M.S.), University of Dayton, Biology.
Forest ecosystems are an important sink in the global carbon cycle. Coarse woody debris (CWD, tree remains greater than or equal to 20cm in diameter), which makes up 20% of the aboveground forest biomass, can be an important indicator of historical forest disturbance events and is an important variable for establishing carbon storage baselines. Eighty plots (0.04 ha) located in old-growth temperate deciduous forest within Lilley Cornett Woods Ecological Research Station (LCW), southeastern KY, USA, were used to assess spatial and temporal dynamics in CWD. These plots were sampled for CWD three times (1989, 1999, and 2012) using identical methods and all samples were identified to species, assigned to a decomposition class, and measured in length and width to estimate volume and sample biomass. We found an increasing trend in CWD biomass that was both evenly-distributed across species and exhibited a distinct spatial pattern. The increasing deposition and spatial relationship were explained by recent disturbance events, as well as environmental variables. Because less than 1% of northeastern forests are old growth and climate change alters forest carbon balance, this study satisfies a current need for ongoing documentation of old-growth forests.
Ryan McEwan (Advisor)
Albert Burky (Committee Member)
Mark Nielsen (Committee Member)
49 p.
Biology; Ecology; Environmental Science; Forestry; Geographic Information Science
Carbon sequestration; Lilley Cornett Woods; Coarse woody debris; GIS

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Davis, J. G. (2014). Spatiotemporal dynamics of coarse woody debris in a topographically complex, old-growth, deciduous forest [Master's thesis, University of Dayton]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1405199554

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Davis, Jessica. Spatiotemporal dynamics of coarse woody debris in a topographically complex, old-growth, deciduous forest. 2014. University of Dayton, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1405199554.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Davis, Jessica. "Spatiotemporal dynamics of coarse woody debris in a topographically complex, old-growth, deciduous forest." Master's thesis, University of Dayton, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=dayton1405199554

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

dayton1405199554
408
© 2014, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Dayton and OhioLINK.