An Analysis of the Forests of the Bristol Hills of New York

Abstract

A detrended correspondence analysis ordination display of 433 20 x 50 m forested plots and 11 100-m line-intercepts from the Bristol Hills of New York indicated that the vegetation was responding to a topographic-moisture gradient and a successional gradient. Comparison of plots according to aspect showed that a portion of the moisture gradient was related to differences in slope aspect. The moisture gradient by aspect went from xeric S to W to ridge-top to Nto E-facing mesic slopes. Percent similarities analysis showed the vegetational aspect differences to be due to differences in relative importance values of the species and not to large differences in species presence and absence. Sugar maple and beech extend further upslope on Eand N-facing slopes than on drier W slopes. Red oak becomes a leading dominant at a lower elevation on W and S slopes than on Nand E-facing slopes. Chestnut oak is not a very important species on E slopes but has an importance value of 10-23% on other aspects. Vegetational differences along the topographic-moisture gradient are the result of the beech-maple forest being at lower elevations and the hemlock-white pine-northern hardwood forest occupying the higher elevations.