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Comparison Of Forest Stand Edges In Riparian And Mesic Habitats Along Watts Bar Reservoir Shoreline, Ruth Anne Hanahan

Masters Theses

Approximately fifty years ago, the landscape upslope from the natural, riverine position banks of the Tennessee River was inundated by the closing of Watts Bar Dam. On the currently forested shoreline, habitats within the direct influence of the reservoir pool are riparian. Those above that influence are mesic. The purpose of this research was to determine compositional and structural differences between edges of mature forest stands established in a riparian habitat and those established in a mesic habitat along Watts Bar Reservoir shoreline.

Thirty quadrats were placed on shoreline sites with mature, minimally-disturbed forest stands: 15 in a riparian habitat …