PARENT SESSION
Poster Session #6: Conservation Ecology.
Monday, August 6, 2001. Presentation from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM. Exhibition Hall

Tree species composition and conservation of a remnant New Jersey Pinelands community.

Schneider, Christopher¹, Gross, Michael¹, ¹

ABSTRACT- The New Jersey Pinelands covers over 500,000 ha, most of which is a National Reserve. The 61 ha campus of Georgian Court College, located at the northeastern edge outside the reserve, is a former estate that contains one remnant pinelands community, occupying about 0.5 ha. The objective of this study was to characterize the trees in the community so that native species could be conserved, exotic species removed, and the dominance structure of a typical pinelands community restored. We mapped the location and measured the diameter at breast height of trees more than 1 m tall. The most common of the 19 species were Quercus alba, Sassafras albidum, and Q. prinus, accounting for 54% of the individuals. However, 91% of the basal area was provided by just 3 species: Q. alba, Q. prinus, and Q. velutina. Seven species not characteristic of the pinelands comprise 19% of the trees and 2% of the basal area, and include Robinia pseudoacacia, Cornus florida, Carya tomentosa, and Pinus strobus. These species will be removed or contained. Selective logging and lack of fire probably caused oaks to dominate this pinelands site. Oak dominance will be reduced by management activities, including propagation of seed from the few sexually mature P. rigida and P. echinata at the site, and grazing exclosures for seedlings of these species.

KEY WORDS: new jersey pinelands, oak, pine, community