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Palus James D. Thesis.pdf (2.17 MB)

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Influence of landscape position on succession in forests undergoing mesophication in southeastern Ohio

Palus, James D.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1492783904331533

Abstract Details

2017, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Environment and Natural Resources.
Abstract Fire suppression in oak–hickory forests of the eastern U.S. has driven the recruitment of shade-tolerant species into the understory, resulting in the mesophication of these ecosystems, whereby these shifts further influence the incidence and severity of fire. This transition in vegetation community composition results in a loss of ecosystem services provided by these forests, affecting timber production, wildlife habitat, and water availability, among others. Further, differences in the physical and chemical properties of oak and maple leaf litter lead to fundamental changes in fire behavior, so restoration of these forests is not straightforward. To examine if there are environmental factors that may confer resilience to mesophication, we studied 22 years of succession (1994-2016) in forests by resampling a network of permanent plots across the Wayne National Forest (WNF) in southeastern Ohio, USA. In a stratified random sampling design, 50 transects—consisting of two to three 500-m2 plots each—were distributed across a gradient of physiographic positions (e.g., southerly upper slopes) in the Athens Unit of the WNF. Data was collected on the physiography, soils, and vegetation of each plot; vegetation was analyzed by strata (trees, saplings, seedlings, & herbaceous). While red maple in the understory remains an issue, we documented a much larger increase in American beech in the understory, which may ultimately displace red maple if left unmanaged. NMDS ordination analyses show clear separation of overstory communities across different landscape positions, primarily driven by moisture availability. Variability in the rate and direction of movement in ordination space suggests that xeric ridges consistently move toward a similar mesophytic state. Sites along slopes, however, are more variable in their change, and intermediate disturbances (e.g., windfall) on very xeric sites (e.g., southerly upper slopes) may successfully shift these forests back to an oak–hickory state. Further, the variability in change on southerly upper slopes may indicate they exist near a threshold and are strongly influenced by minor changes in environmental characteristics and stochastic disturbances. The southerly upper slopes may, then, respond readily to management interventions, making them suitable areas for restoration activities that would likely have high chances of success. These forests as a whole are increasingly susceptible to novel disturbances (e.g., insects, drought), and their current successional trajectory may exhibit low resilience to conditions predicted under future climate scenarios. This study serves to identify linkages between environmental parameters and community resilience, allowing restoration practitioners to better tailor efforts to particular forest ecosystem types.
P. Charles Goebel (Advisor)
David M. Hix (Committee Member)
Stephen N. Matthews (Committee Member)
113 p.
Ecology; Forestry
Forest succession, mesophication, community ecology, alternative stable states

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Palus, J. D. (2017). Influence of landscape position on succession in forests undergoing mesophication in southeastern Ohio [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1492783904331533

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Palus, James. Influence of landscape position on succession in forests undergoing mesophication in southeastern Ohio . 2017. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1492783904331533.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Palus, James. "Influence of landscape position on succession in forests undergoing mesophication in southeastern Ohio ." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1492783904331533

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1492783904331533
502
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.