Successional Stages in a Hardwood Bottomland Forest near Dallas, Texas

Abstract

Forested bottomland areas associated with the Trinity River, near Dallas, Texas, have for many years been exploited for their gravel content leaving many seres represented at present by variously aged stages of plant succession. Data obtained by the plot method from excavated 3-, 5-, and 47-year-old gravel pits and an unexcavated forested area were compared to determine successional trends. Her- baceous and vine species, particularly Heterotheca latifolia Buckl. and Smilax Bona- nox L. respectively, were prevalent in the 3-year-old gravel pit whereas the trees, Populus deltoides Marsh. and Salix nigra Marsh. dominated the 5-year-old gravel pit. Principal woody species in the 47-year-old gravel pit were Celtis laevigata Willd., Juniperus virginiana L., Ulmus alata Michx., and Rhus Toxicodendron L. The grass Bromus commutatus Schrad. was the dominant herbaceous species. The unexcavated forested area exhibited a rather dense upper canopy composed pri- marily of Ulmus alata Michx., Quercus stellata Wang. and Prunus mexicana Wats. Panicum laxiflorum Lam. and Carex amphibola Steud. were prominent understory plants.