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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Ecological Species Groups Of South Carolina's Jocassee Gorges, Southern Appalachian Mountains, Scott R. Abella, Victor B. Shelburne
Ecological Species Groups Of South Carolina's Jocassee Gorges, Southern Appalachian Mountains, Scott R. Abella, Victor B. Shelburne
Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications
Ecological species groups, consisting of assemblages of co-occurring plant species exhibiting similar environmental affinities, were developed for ground-flora and tree strata in late- successional forests on a 13,000 ha southern Appalachian landscape. We distinguished 11 ground-flora groups that included 50 species and six tree groups comprised of 19 species. Ground-flora groups ranged from a xeric Vaccinium group (including Vaccinium pallidum, Euphorbia corollata, and Piptochaetium avenaceum) to a mesic Rhododendron group (typified by Rhododendron maximum, Mitchella repens, and Hexastylis heterophylla). Tree groups ranged from a Quercus coccinea group to a Tsuga canadensis group. Consistent with previous research, species groups exhibited a …
Quantifying Ecosystem Geomorphology Of The Southern Appalachian Mountains, Scott R. Abella
Quantifying Ecosystem Geomorphology Of The Southern Appalachian Mountains, Scott R. Abella
Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications
Geomorphology is a dominant factor influencing vegetation distribution in the southern Appalachians, and quantifying landform characteristics is increasingly important for forest ecosystem classification. This study used slope gradient and two previously published geomorphic indices, terrain shape index and landform index that quantify landform shape and protection, to develop a field-based landform quantification system at four study areas in the southern Appalachians. Six major landform types (ridgetops, nose slopes, linear hillslopes, coves, stream ravines, and stream bottoms) exhibited quantitatively different characteristics, and these differences among landforms were not evident when using only categorical landform descriptions (e.g., convex, concave) that have been …