Mesoscale Gap Dynamics (Rebertus and Meier in rev.)
Prior to Settlement the Slopes of the Ozarks Featured Old Growth Shortleaf Pine Stands
Hilltops were often dominated by Post Oak Woodlands
Glades were found on some sites.
Logging About 1900 was Followed by Fire Suppression
Short-lived Scarlet Oak and Black Oak Became Dominant Through much of the Region
These oaks began to experience mass cohort senescence and formed gaps.
We sampled105 km of line transect for mesoscale gaps larger than 500 m square.
Gapsm2=1.4% of the landscape per decade.
PPT Slide
Gap regeneration differed from composition of the gap makers.
Mesoscale gaps were quite rare.
Large scale logging and fire suppression led to mass cohort senescence. The young cohorts regenerating in the numerous small gaps formed by mass cohort senescence are gap resistant and prevent formation of mesoscale gaps. The scale of disturbance appears to be controlled by adjacent scales in the disturbance hierarchy.
Email: Albert.Meier@wku.edu
Home Page: http://bioweb.wku.edu/faculty/ameier
Other information: This slide show constitutes Lecture 1 of 500 for Ecology 315.