Species Response to a Moisture Gradient in Central Illinois Forests

Abstract

Polar and Gaussian ordination applied to data collected from 37 forest sites in central Illinois resulted in a continuous and gradual change in species composition along a moisture gradient. A series of overlapping species success curves formed by plotting Importance Values over stands ordered along the gradient varied continuously in modal location and habitat width. Blackjack oak and black oak dominated upland sandy sites. Black oak, white oak, and shagbark hickory were the most important species on exposed, upper slope positions or ridge tops with silt-loam soils. Red oak, sugar maple, American elm, and bur oak dominated sheltered locations on lower slope positions and stream terraces. Sycamore, silver maple, and cottonwood were leading tree species in floodplain forests. Conversion of black, white, and red oak forests on silt-loam sites to sugar maple, white ash, and red elm dominance is evident by high densities of these shade tolerant species in the understory. Composition of forests at the extreme ends of the moisture gradient is more stable than the mesic sites. Maximum tree diversity occurred on mesic sites and decreased toward the extreme ends of the moisture gradient. However, competitive exclusion of shade intolerant species by sugar maple and other species has caused a decrease in understory diversity on mesic sites. Diversity decreased from canopy to understory strata in lowland forests and increased on xeric sites.