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Could Mesophyte Canopy, Bark, And Leaf Litter Traits Drive Future Flammability Of Upland Oak Forests?, Emily Kathleen Babl
Could Mesophyte Canopy, Bark, And Leaf Litter Traits Drive Future Flammability Of Upland Oak Forests?, Emily Kathleen Babl
Theses and Dissertations
In the absence of canopy-opening disturbances, upland oak forests in the eastern United States are shifting to shade-tolerant, fire-sensitive tree species (i.e. mesophytes) via a hypothesized positive feedback loop of less flammable, self-promoting conditions, termed mesophication. To evaluate species-specific impacts on mesophication, I quantified canopy, bark, and leaf litter traits of five hypothesized mesophytes [red maple (Acer rubrum), sugar maple (A. saccharum), American beech (Fagus grandifolia), hickory (Carya spp.), and tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)] and four upland oaks [black oak (Quercus velutina), chestnut oak (Q. montana), scarlet oak (Q. coccinea), and white oak (Q. alba)] in central Kentucky. Red maple, …