Environmental Health and Protection Commons^™

Influence Of Resource Availability On Juniperus Virginiana Expansion In A Forest–Prairie Ecotone, A. C. Ganguli, D. M. Engle, P. M. Mayer, L. F. Salo

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Staff Publications

Woody plant expansion into grasslands and savannas is a global concern. Rapid expansion of Juniperus virginiana, a tree native to North America, has profound ecological consequences. We used transplanted J. virginiana seedlings to investigate the role of resource availability on J. virginiana expansion following the removal of fire, the factor historically limiting range expansion of this fire-intolerant species. We evaluated J. virginiana seedling survival and seedling growth, two important phases in woody plant expansion, relative to two below ground resource factors, plant-available soil water (soil clay content, an index of plant-available soil water) and plant-available nitrogen (PAN), and an above …