Land-use history and plant performance in populations of Trillium grandiflorum

Abstract

Many forest herbs show reduced frequency in forests growing on former agricultural land (secondary forests) relative to forests that were never cleared for agriculture (primary forests). To explain this pattern, studies of secondary forest colonization by forest herbs have stressed the role of limited seed dispersal, though environmental conditions may also limit colonization. Here I demonstrate that adult plant performance of Trillium grandiflorum is significantly reduced in secondary vs. primary forests in central New York State, USA. Comparing primary and secondary sites both with relatively high soil pH, T. grandiflorum populations were more dense, and individual plants were larger and more likely to be flowering in primary than secondary forests. Using counts of annual leaf scars on the rhizome, I demonstrate that this result is not due to secondary populations being younger than primary populations. Age-specific leaf area was significantly greater in primary than secondary stands at high soil pH, and the data suggest slightly reduced seed set in secondary stands as well. These results point to a more important role for environmental conditions in limiting forest-herb colonization of secondary forests than has been previously appreciated. Restoration and conservation of forest herbs in post-agricultural forests will require more than simply overcoming dispersal limitation.