Landscape variation of seasonal pool plant communities in forests of northern Minnesota, USA

Abstract

Seasonal forest pools are abundant in the northern Great Lakes forest landscape, but the range of variation in their plant communities and the relationship of this variation to multi-scale landscape features remains poorly quantified. We examined seasonal pools in forests of northern Minnesota USA with the objective of quantifying the range of variation in plant communities within and among different geomorphic and forest settings. Abundances of plant functional groups were highly variable among pools, ranging from those having abundant upland trees, sedges, and perennial forbs to those having abundant wetland sedges, grasses, and forbs. Glacial landform and ecological landtype (local forest and soil type) explained little of this variation, while physical characteristics of the pools (primarily duration of flooding) explained 36% of the variation. Understanding landscape variation in seasonal pool plant communities is important for their conservation and management. If range of variation is understood, representative examples of all variants of pool systems can be identified for conservation, and management prescriptions can be tailored to different landscape settings.