Document: PAU-3-40-37

Dynamics of spatial distribution of regenerating vegetation in a South Carolina pine forest ecosystem after disturbance.

SELIN, S.J.* ¹, P.MOU ¹, R.H.JONES ¹ and R.J.MITCHELL ²

Virginia Tech. Blacksburg, VA 24061 USA ¹
Jones Ecological Research Center at Ichauwat, Newton, GA 31770 USA ²

Abstract:
Heterogeneity and its dynamics at coarse (community) and finer scales play important roles in vegetation dynamics along succession. We tallied and mapped vegetation and soil variables of a slash pine plantation on the South Carolina coastal plain, and applied two types of disturbances (whole tree harvest and girdling of canopy pines) to the forest in 1997. We spatially investigated various forest floor and soil variables, and regenerating vegetation annually since then. We compared the spatial pattern change of the vegetation from 1996 (before disturbance) to 1999, and correlated the vegetation change with the spatial pattern change of the substrate variables. We found that the spatial pattern change of forest floor and soil variables by disturbances has greatly affected spatial variations of regenerating plant populations. The species were classified according to their root foraging traits and regeneration strategies. Based on these classes the plants responded differently to the disturbance changed spatial patterns of edaphic variables, and partially determined their different spatial distribution patterns.

Keywords: Heterogeneity, vegetation, disturbance

This abstract is being presented at: 3:30 PM in session:
Poster Session #17: Vegetative Analysis.