Spatial patterns of stand structure and canopy disturbance in a fire‐maintained Pinus palustris woodland

Abstract

AbstractQuestionStand structural complexity is increasingly valued by forest managers to promote resilience, and quantitative spatial data from reference stands can help achieve these goals. We questioned how stand structural elements were spatially distributed across a Pinus palustris woodland. Specifically, we sought to quantify patterns of individual trees, tree clumps, openings, and canopy disturbance and examine spatial relationships between P. palustris saplings and P. palustris and Quercus spp. trees.LocationFall Line Hills, Alabama, USA (32°56′12′′ N, 87°25′37′′ W).MethodsWe recorded tree species, diameter, age, and location of all trees, and reconstructed canopy disturbance events across a 1‐ha site in a P. palustris woodland. We used global point pattern analysis (g(r) function) and a local spatial classification method (individuals, clumps, and openings) to examine the distribution of stand structural elements and canopy disturbance.ResultsTrees were generally clustered by taxa and diameter. Pinus palustris saplings exhibited no spatial relationship with P. palustris trees, but were clustered around Quercus trees at variable distances. Approximately half of the trees in the stand occurred in large clumps, and ca. 10% of trees occurred as individuals that did not touch crowns with neighbors. For three of the five disturbance periods, canopy disturbances were clustered in space at various distances.ConclusionsSpatial randomness and clustering of structural elements and canopy disturbance events were evident across the reference site. The spatial patterns of stand structure quantified here, in conjunction with data from other georeferenced studies, can be used to develop silvicultural guidelines to enhance structural complexity and promote resilience.