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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
A Link Between Hurricane-Induced Tree Sprouting, High Stem Density And Short Canopy In Tropical Dry Forest, Skip Van Bloem, Peter G. Murphy, Ariel E. Lugo
A Link Between Hurricane-Induced Tree Sprouting, High Stem Density And Short Canopy In Tropical Dry Forest, Skip Van Bloem, Peter G. Murphy, Ariel E. Lugo
Publications
The physiognomy of Caribbean dry forest is shorter, denser and contains a greater proportion of multi-stemmed trees than other neotropical dry forests. Our previous research, conducted after Hurricane Georges in 1998, has shown that dry forest trees sprout near the base following hurricane disturbance, even if the trees have not incurred structural damage. However, for these hurricane-induced sprouts to contribute to the physiognomy of the forest, they must grow and survive. We followed sprout dynamics and stem mortality on 1,407 stems from 1998, after Hurricane Georges, until 2005. The number of surviving sprouts and the proportion of sprouting stems decreased …
Wind Damage And Salinity Effects Of Hurricanes Katrina And Rita On Coastal Baldcypress Forests Of Louisiana, William Conner, Thomas W. Doyle, Richard H. Day, Ken W. Krauss, Christopher M. Swarzenski
Wind Damage And Salinity Effects Of Hurricanes Katrina And Rita On Coastal Baldcypress Forests Of Louisiana, William Conner, Thomas W. Doyle, Richard H. Day, Ken W. Krauss, Christopher M. Swarzenski
Publications
The frequency of hurricane landfall in a given coastal stretch may play a more important role in the ecology of coastal forests than previously thought because of direct and indirect impacts of fallen trees and the introduction of salt water that lingers long after the storm passes. Findings show that surge events can inundate interior freshwater forests many miles from the coast and elevate soil salinities twofold to threefold. These elevated salinities may contribute to delayed mortality of certain tree species and set the stage for eventual forest decline and dieback.
Conservation And Use Of Coastal Wetland Forests In Louisiana, William Conner, Stephen P. Faulkner, Jim L. Chambers, Richard F. Keim, John W. Day, Emile S. Gardiner, Melinda S. Hughes, Sammy L. King, Kenneth W. Mcleod, Craig A. Miller, J Andrew Nyman, Gary P. Shaffer
Conservation And Use Of Coastal Wetland Forests In Louisiana, William Conner, Stephen P. Faulkner, Jim L. Chambers, Richard F. Keim, John W. Day, Emile S. Gardiner, Melinda S. Hughes, Sammy L. King, Kenneth W. Mcleod, Craig A. Miller, J Andrew Nyman, Gary P. Shaffer
Publications
The natural ecosystems of coastal Louisiana reflect the underlying geomorphic processes responsible for their formation. The majority of Louisiana's wetland forests are found in the lower reaches of the Mississipp Alluvial Valley and the Deltaic Plain. The sediments, water, and energy of the Mississippi River have shaped the Deltaic Plain as natural deltas have been formed and abandoned over the last 5,000 years (Coleman et al. 1998). During the regressive or constructional phase of the delta cycle, the system is dominated by freshwater riverine inputs with the formation of corresponding freshwater marshes and swamps, which then deteriorate during the marine-dominated …