PARENT SESSION
Oral Session # 34: Plant Ecology II: Pollination and Dispersal.
Presiding: A McEuen
Tuesday, August 5. 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM, SITCC Meeting Room 202.

Fruit production in mature and harvested cove and upland hardwood forest of the southern Appalachians.

Greenberg, Cathryn^*,1, Levey, Douglas², ¹ USDA Forest Service, Asheville, NC² University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

ABSTRACT- Fleshy fruit is an important dietary component of many vertebrates, yet little is known about fruit availability or management strategies. Since 1999, we've monitored fleshy fruit abundance monthly in 31 plots (0.1 ha)within cove hardwood forest (CHF)and upland hardwood forests (UHF)and recently harvested areas of each(CH2 and UF2, respectively). Thirty-nine species produced fruit during 1999-2002. Production ranged 570 (C56) to 1,629 (CHF) g (dry mass of pulp)/ha in 1999, and 796 (C53) to13,644 (UF2) g/ha in 2002. Total fruit production increased during the second year post-harvest, and remained highest in the harvested treatments. Phytolacca fruit production peaked in CH2 and UH2 2 and 3 years post-harvest. Rubus also increased only in harvested treatments 3 and 4 years postharvest. Gaylussacia production was highest in both UHF and UH2 but varied among years. A few species dominated fruit production, but dominant species varied among treatments. In 2002 Gaylussacia composed 67% of biomass in UHF, 31% in UH2, 20% in CHF, and 7% in CH2; Rubus was absent from CHF and UHF but composed 45% (UHF) and 54% (CH2) in harvested treatments. Fruit was available from June through December, but peak availability differed among treatments due to differences in species composition and fruiting phenology. We conclude that fruit abundance and composition are influenced by forest type and age, and fruit production varies in space and time.

Key words: harvest, fruit production, cove hardwood, upland hardwood