Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Life Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 6 of 6

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

The Influence Of Hurricane Winds On Caribbean Dry Forest Structure And Nutrient Pools, Skip Van Bloem, Ariel E. Lugo, Rebecca Ostertag, Maria Rivera Costa, Ivelisse Ruiz Bernard, Sandra Molina Colón, Miguel Canals Mora Oct 2004

The Influence Of Hurricane Winds On Caribbean Dry Forest Structure And Nutrient Pools, Skip Van Bloem, Ariel E. Lugo, Rebecca Ostertag, Maria Rivera Costa, Ivelisse Ruiz Bernard, Sandra Molina Colón, Miguel Canals Mora

Publications

In 1998, we measured the effects of Hurricane Georges after it passed over long‐term research sites in Puerto Rican dry forest. Our primary objectives were to quantify hurricane effects on forest structure, to compare effects in a large tract of forest versus a series of nearby forest fragments, to evaluate short‐term response to hurricane disturbance in terms of mortality and sprouting, and to assess the ability of hurricanes to maintain forest structure. We sampled damage from 33 plots (1.3 ha) across a 3000‐ha tract of forest as well as in 19 fragments. For stems with 2.5‐cm minimum diameter, 1004 stems/ha …


Recognizing And Overcoming Difficult Site Conditions For Afforestation Of Bottomland Hardwoods, William Conner, J A. Stanturf, E S. Gardiner, C J. Schweitzer, A W. Ezell Sep 2004

Recognizing And Overcoming Difficult Site Conditions For Afforestation Of Bottomland Hardwoods, William Conner, J A. Stanturf, E S. Gardiner, C J. Schweitzer, A W. Ezell

Publications

In the last decade, about 370,000 acres (150,000 ha) of economically marginal
farmland in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (LMAV) have been restored to
bottomland hardwood forests (Stanturf and others 1998, King and Keeland 1999,
Schoenholtz and others 2001). Planting of this considerable acreage is due to several federal programs, such as the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), that assist landowners by financing afforestation (Figure 1). Unfortunately, these operational plantings have not performed as well as smaller plantings or research plots (Stanturf and others 2001a). For example, a recent survey of WRP plantings in westcentral Mississippi revealed that more than 90 …


Siviculture And Management Strategies Applicable To Southern Hardwoods, William Conner, Ray R. Hicks Jr, Robert C. Kellison, David Vanlear Jan 2004

Siviculture And Management Strategies Applicable To Southern Hardwoods, William Conner, Ray R. Hicks Jr, Robert C. Kellison, David Vanlear

Publications

Southern hardwood forests stretch from the Virginias to Florida and from the mid-Atlantic to Missouri. They can generally be grouped into upland forests and bottomland forests. The upland hardwood forests of the southern region are usually associated with the mountainous topography of the Appalachians and Ozarks. Bottomland hardwoods are found along the floodplains of larger rivers in the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains, including the Mississippi River floodplain. Southern hardwood forests are owned by a variety of governmental and private owners, but the vast majority of owners are nonindustrial private individuals. These owners seldom engage in intensive forest management, often …


Growth And Survival Of Baldcypress Planted In An Old Ricefield Of Coastal South Carolina, William Conner, L W. Inabinette, M Ozalp Jan 2004

Growth And Survival Of Baldcypress Planted In An Old Ricefield Of Coastal South Carolina, William Conner, L W. Inabinette, M Ozalp

Publications

Vast acreages of baldcypress [Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.] swampland in coastal South Carolina were cleared for rice production starting in the late 1600s. When rice cultivation ended in the late 1800s, many cultivated areas became
marshlands. Other fields failed to return to forest unless they were planted. In one such area, nine acres were planted with baldcypress in 1956 by MeadWestvaco near Walterboro, SC. Seedlings were planted on an 8- by 8-foot spacing. Beginning in November 1991, five 0.12-acre plots were established within the stand to monitor tree growth and survival and measured yearly. In addition to baldcypress, the stand …


Restoration Of Southern Ecosystems, William Conner, John A. Stanturf, Emile S. Gardiner, Kenneth Outcalt, James M. Guldin Jan 2004

Restoration Of Southern Ecosystems, William Conner, John A. Stanturf, Emile S. Gardiner, Kenneth Outcalt, James M. Guldin

Publications

Restoration of the myriad communities of bottomland hardwood and wetland forests and of the diverse communities of fire-dominated pine forests is the subject of intense interest in the Southern United States. Restoration practice is relatively advanced for bottomland hardwoods and longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.), and less so for swamps and shortleaf pine (P. echinata Mill.). Most bottomland hardwood restoration is taking place on private land, while restoration of swamps and shortleaf pine occurs mostly on public land. Both public and private landowners are involved in the restoration of longleaf pine. Proper matching of species to site is critical to …


Regional Forest Types - Tropical Dry Forests, Skip Van Bloem, Ariel E. Lugo, Peter G. Murphy Jan 2004

Regional Forest Types - Tropical Dry Forests, Skip Van Bloem, Ariel E. Lugo, Peter G. Murphy

Publications

Tropical dry forests occur in nearly every tropical country. This forest type provides critical habitat for large mammals and migratory birds, and patches of dry forest can support a high proportion of endemic plant and animal species, as well as being highly valued for agricultural and production forestry uses. Consequently, conservation and understanding of these forests need emphasis, yet conservationists and scientists still frequently overlook this ecosystem.