Upland Deciduous Forest Research Articles

Development of equations for predicting Puerto Rican subtropical dry forest biomass and volume

Carbon accounting, forest health monitoring and sustainable management of the subtropical dry forests of Puerto Rico and other Caribbean Islands require an accurate assessment of forest aboveground biomass (AGB) and stem volume. One means of improving assessment accuracy is the development of predictive equations derived from locally collected data. Forest inventory and analysis (FIA) measured tree diameter and height, and then destructively sampled 30 trees from 6 species at an upland deciduous dry forest site near Ponce, Puerto Rico. This data was used to develop best parsimonious equations fit with ordinary least squares procedures and additive models fit with nonlinear seemingly unrelated regressions that estimate subtropical dry forest leaf, woody, and total AGB for Bucida buceras and mixed dry forest species. We also fit equations for estimating inside and outside bark total and merchantable stem volume using both diameter at breast height (d.b.h.) and total height, and diameter at breast height alone for B. buceras and Bursera simaruba. Model fits for total and woody biomass were generally good, while leaf biomass showed more variation, possibly due to seasonal leaf loss at the time of sampling. While the distribution of total AGB into components appeared to remain relatively constant across diameter classes, AGB variability increased and B. simaruba and B. buceras allocated more carbon into branch biomass than the other species. When comparing our observed and predicted values to other published dry forest AGB equations, the equation developed in Mexico and recommended for areas with rainfall >900 mm/year gave estimates substantially lower than our observed values, while equations developed using dry forest data from forest in Australia, India and Mexico were lower than our observed values for trees with d.b.h. <25 cm and slightly higher for trees with d.b.h. >30 cm. Although our ability to accurately estimate merchantable stem volume and live tree AGB for subtropical dry forests in Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands has been improved, much work remains to be done to sample a wider range of species and tree sizes.

Habitat Utilization of Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus (Northern Pinesnakes) on Arnold Air Force Base in Middle Tennessee

Abstract Radio-transmitters were implanted in six male and three female adult Northern Pinesnakes at Arnold Air Force Base in Middle Tennessee. Snakes were radio-tracked during the spring, summer, and autumn of 2001 and 2002 to ascertain possible sexual variation and seasonal patterns of habitat use. Radio-tracked Pinesnakes spent most of their time within pre-existing stump holes or under old concrete foundations found scattered throughout the study area. They primarily used disturbed habitats with little or no canopy cover. Selected habitats were characterized by vegetative ground cover and woody debris during both years. Monitored pinesnakes avoided upland deciduous forest and closed-canopy pine forests. The affinity for open-canopy areas increased throughout the year, with males and females inhabiting these areas most often during autumn. Females used more underground retreats than males during summer. Moreover, both sexes used underground retreats most often during autumn. Considering past and ongoin...

Cuterebra fontinella Parasitism on Peromyscus leucopus and Ochrotomys nuttalli

Peromyscus leucopus (white-footed mice) and Ochrotomys nuttalli (golden mice) were live-trapped in eight experimental plots of lowland and upland deciduous forest during 2001 and 2004. An outbreak of Cuterebra fontinella (botfly) parasitism occurred on both species of small mammals during the 2001 and 2004 trapping seasons, with peaks in mid-July each year. A second peak of parasitism was observed in late October 2004, which differed greatly from 2001 where only one peak occurred. We suggest that a greater three-dimensional home-range size and pattern of behavioral activity exhibited by P. leucopus led to a greater incidence of parasitism (41.7%) compared to the more arboreal O. nuttalli (6.3%–12.5%). The second outbreak of parasitism appeared to have been the result of a late-summer deluge of tropical weather caused by an exceptionally active hurricane season affecting the southeastern United States.

Carbon exchange and venting anomalies in an upland deciduous forest in northern Wisconsin, USA

Turbulent fluxes of carbon, water vapor, and temperature were continuously measured above an upland forest in north central Wisconsin during 1999 and 2000 using the eddy covariance method. Maple ( Acer saccharum), basswood ( Tilia americana), and green ash ( Fraxinus pennsylvanica) species found in this forest also comprise a substantial portion of the landscape in the northern Great Lakes region and area, and it has been hypothesized that forests of this age (60–80 years) are responsible for net uptake of atmospheric CO 2 over North America. Mean CO 2, water vapor, and temperature profile measurements were used to improve flux estimates during periods of low turbulence, and were effective for friction velocities ( u *) >0.3 m s −1. Unique observations at this site included nighttime and early morning venting anomalies that seemed to originate from a seemingly homogenous area within the forest. These elevated NEE measurements, some as high as 80 mol m −2 s −1, appeared in valid turbulent flux observations for hours at a time, and provided circumstantial evidence for preferential venting and/or existence of pooled CO 2 in low-lying areas. We observed that the forest was a moderate sink for atmospheric carbon, and cumulative NEE of CO 2 was estimated to be −334 g C m −2 year −1 during 2000. Sensitivity to low-turbulence flux corrections was very small (21 g C m −2 year −1), and discrepancies between annual estimates of NEE and NEP were similar to other sites. A normalized measure of ecosystem respiration, the free energy of activation, was presented and its seasonal variations were analyzed. Gross ecosystem production (GEP) was high (1165 g C m −2 year −1) and ecosystem respiration (ER) was low (817 g C m −2 year −1) in comparison to spatially integrated, landscape-scale observations from WLEF (914 and 1005 g C m −2 year −1, respectively), a 477 m tower located 22 km to the northeast [Glob. Change Biol. 9 (2003) 1278]. Forest transpiration was responsible for most of the water released to the atmosphere. Stomata closed under intense sunlight and high vapor pressure deficits (VPD > 1.5 kPa). Effect of stomotal closure on annual CO 2 uptake was minimal due to adequate soil moisture and moderate VPD during the growing season.

URBAN HABITAT: A DETERMINANT OF WHITE-FOOTED MOUSE (PEROMYSCUS LEUCOPUS) ABUNDANCE IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

The objective of this study was to assess whether differences in abundance of white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) were related to habitat features within and surrounding 60 sampled bottomland forest patches. Habitat features included patch size, patch shape, and landuse within a 300-m buffer surrounding each patch. During 18,000 trap nights, we captured 1,308 white- footed mice within approximately 3,110 ha of bottomland forest. Type of habitat surrounding a patch was a significant determinant of white-footed mouse abun- dance. Sample sites where less than 10 individuals were captured were surrounded by a large percentage of upland deciduous forest and a low percentage of urban/ other habitats. Sample sites where 30 or more individuals were captured were surrounded by a large percentage of urban/other habitats and a small percentage of upland deciduous forest. Sites where 10-29 individuals were captured were surrounded by intermediate amounts of upland deciduous forest and urban/other habitat. Although deciduous forest is necessary, it may not be the primary determinant of white-footed mouse abundance. Unsuitable habitat may surround and create islands of high density from which successful dispersion is difficult.

Statewide land cover derived from multiseasonal Landsat TM data: A retrospective of the WISCLAND project

Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data were the basis in production of a statewide land cover data set for Wisconsin, undertaken in partnership with U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Gap Analysis Program (GAP). The data set contained seven classes comparable to Anderson Level I and 24 classes comparable to Anderson Level II/III. Twelve scenes of dual-date TM data were processed with methods that included principal components analysis, stratification into spectrally consistent units, separate classification of upland, wetland, and urban areas, and a hybrid supervised/unsupervised classification called “guided clustering.” The final data had overall accuracies of 94% for Anderson Level I upland classes, 77% for Level II/III upland classes, and 84% for Level II/III wetland classes. Classification accuracies for deciduous and coniferous forest were 95% and 93%, respectively, and forest species' overall accuracies ranged from 70% to 84%. Limited availability of acceptable imagery necessitated use of an early May date in a majority of scene pairs, perhaps contributing to lower accuracy for upland deciduous forest species. The mixed deciduous/coniferous forest class had the lowest accuracy, most likely due to distinctly classifying a purely mixed class. Mixed forest signatures containing oak were often confused with pure oak. Guided clustering was seen as an efficient classification method, especially at the tree species level, although its success relied in part on image dates, accurate ground truth, and some analyst intervention.

Holocene environments of the central Great Plains: multi-proxy evidence from alluvial sequences, southeastern Nebraska

Pollen, plant macrofossils, phytoliths, carbon isotopes, and alluvial history from sediments exposed along the South Fork of the Big Nemaha River, southeastern Nebraska, USA, provide an integrated reconstruction of changes in Holocene vegetation, climate, and fluvial activity. From 9000 to 8500 uncalibrated 14 C yr BP, climate became more arid and the floodplain and alluvial fans in the main valley aggraded rapidly, upland deciduous forest declined, and prairie attained its Holocene dominance. From 8500 to 5800 yr BP. upland forest elements disappeared, and even riparian trees were sparse under dry climatic conditions. Alluvial fans continued to aggrade but aggradation in the main valley was interrupted by a stable episode 7000 yr BP. From 5800 to 3100 yr BP, riparian forests returned to prominence, and droughts were intermittent. Alluviation was slower and punctuated by two major episodes of channel incision and terrace formation in the main valley. Aggradation on alluvial fans slowed and finally ceased near the end of this period. During a short dry interval from 3100 to 2700 yr BP riparian trees (except elm) disappeared, and prairie and weedy species became more abundant. This interval is represented by the organic Roberts Creek Member, and the alluvial setting was a slightly incised meandering channel belt. Habitats became similar to presettlement conditions during the last 2700 yr BP. Weedy taxa dominate modern samples, reflecting widespread disturbance. Alluvial fans and terrace surfaces were stable during the last 2500 years, but episodes of floodplain aggradation were punctuated by incision of the main channel.

Holocene environments reconstructed from plant macrofossils in stream deposits from southeastern Nebraska, USA

Plant macrofossils from sediments exposed in cutbanks of small streams on the Great Plains yield details of the history of the vegetation and climate, and potentially of the hydrologic behaviour of the streams during the past 9000 radiocarbon years. Five zones are recognized by visual inspection. Macrofossils in zone 1( c. 9000 to c. 8500 BP) indicate that upland deciduous forest was sparsely present, but that prairie, weedy and wetland habitats were also well established. Zone 2 ( c. 8500 to c. 5800 BP) is sparsely represented, but upland trees disappeared, riparian trees and wetland plants were sparse, and weeds and prairie taxa fluctuated from low to high values. This interval was probably the warmest, driest part of the Holocene. Zone 3 ( c. 5800 to c. 3100 BP) had a rich riparian forest, along with well-developed prairies, disturbed habitats and wetlands. This period was more moist but had intermittent droughts. Zone 4 ( c. 3100 to c. 2700 BP) has peaks in many prairie and weedy elements, whereas riparian forest elements nearly disappeared, suggesting another warm, dry interval. Zone 5 represents a return to somewhat less arid conditions and records a strong signature of introduced weeds in post-settlement time.

What Happens to Old Nests in Natural Cavities?

It is well known that old nest material accumulates in nest boxes and should be removed to keep the boxes usable. Perrins (1979) and M0ller (1989) proposed that the removal of old material, via reduction of ectoparasites, could improve conditions in the boxes. This in turn could have profound effects on nest-site choice, mating success, and reproductive efficiency of the individuals that use the boxes. Natural cavities are not cleaned by humans. Thus, by implication, conditions in them should deteriorate owing to the accumulation of old nest material. Indeed, Perrins (1979) stated that . . the nest material would slowly decompose within the chamber and presumably over a series of years the site might become filled with old nests. I have tried to find support for this statement in the literature, but so far I have failed to find any information on this issue. Therefore, it seems that the information presented below, which indicates that old nest material disappears rapidly from natural cavities, constitutes the first data on this subject. Study Area and Methods.-Data were gathered from 1992 to 1998 in the Bialowieza National Park in eastern Poland, within which the last surviving fragments of European primeval lowland temperate forest are preserved. The tree stands of the park have never been cut, and the entire area has been strictly protected as a reserve since 1921. Hence, one can still observe cavities and cavity nesters in conditions free of direct anthropogenic disturbance. The forest consists of several types of old-growth stands (see Tomialojd and Wesolowski 1990, Tomialojc 1991, Wesolowski and Tomialojd 1995), but most of the data were gathered in two types of chiefly deciduous stands. One was a stand of riparian trees composed mostly of alder (Alnus glutinosa), ash (Fraxinus excelsior), and Norway spruce (Picea excelsa); the other was a stand of upland deciduous forest composed of more than 12 species of trees, mainly hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), small-leafed linden (Tilia cordata), con-

Kite Aerial Photography for Environmental Site Investigations in Kansas

Aerial photographs taken from kites provide a versatile and low-cost method to acquire high-resolution, large-scale imagery for environmental site investigations. Kite aerial photographs (KAP) typically are taken from heights of 50-100 m using light-weight automatic cameras. Pictures may be acquired in vertical and oblique vantages. For accurate mapping, survey markers may be located with differential GPS equipment. Scanning of photographs and digital processing allow for resampling, enhancement, and analysis of images. We have utilized KAP for environmental investigations for two situations: (1) forest cover at Fort Leavenworth military reservation in northeastern Kansas, and (2) stream channel characteristics at Ninnescah Experimental Tract and Natural History Reservation in south-central Kansas. At Fort Leavenworth, oblique KAP views revealed the irregular structure and marked shadow effects within the canopy of upland deciduous forest. This information proved useful for interpreting satellite imagery in connection with a climate-forest study. At the Ninnescah study site, vertical KAP was the basis for accurate mapping of intricate, small, meandering stream channels and the locations of potholes within the drainage system. In both examples, KAP provided an intermediate level of observation between ground studies and conventional topographic maps, air photos, or satellite images.

Ownership and ecosystem as sources of spatial heterogeneity in a forested landscape, Wisconsin, USA

The interaction between physical environment and land ownership in creating spatial heterogeneity was studied in largely forested landscapes of northern Wisconsin, USA. A stratified random approach was used in which 2500-ha plots representing two ownerships (National Forest and private non-industrial) were located within two regional ecosystems (extremely well-drained outwash sands and moderately well-drained moraines). Sixteen plots were established, four within each combination of ownership and ecosystem, and the land cover on the plots was classified from aerial photographs using a modified form of the Anderson (U.S. Geological Survey) land use and land cover classification system.Upland deciduous forests dominated by northern hardwoods were common on the moraines for both ownerships. On the outwash, the National Forest was dominated by pine plantations, upland deciduous forests, and upland regenerating forests (as defined by <50% canopy coverage). In contrast, a more even distribution among the classes of upland forest existed on private land/outwash. A strong interaction between ecosystem and ownership was evident for most comparisons of landscape structure. On the moraine, the National Forest ownership had a finer grain pattern with more complex patch shapes compared to private land. On the outwash, in contrast, the National Forest had a coarser grain pattern with less complex patch shapes compared to private land. When patch size and shape were compared between ecosystems within an ownership, statistically significant differences in landscape structure existed on public land but not on private land. On public land, different management practices on the moraine and outwash, primarily related to timber harvesting and road building, created very different landscape patterns. Landscape structure on different ecosystems on private land tended to be similar because ownership was fragmented in both ecosystems and because ownership boundaries often corresponded to patch boundaries on private land. A complex relationship exits between ownership, and related differences in land use, and the physical environment that ultimately constrains land use. Studies that do not consider these interactions may misinterpret the importance of either variable in explaining variation in landscape patterns.

Landscape and area effects on beetle assemblages in Ontario

We compared beetles collected from eight forest fragments in a suburban‐agricultural setting and one contiguous forest in south‐central Ontario. Samples were collected by pan traps from the interior of continuous forest and upland deciduous forest fragments ranging in size from 43 to 2350 ha. The pooled sample was composed of 4561 individuals from 117 species. Differences in beetle assemblages was primarily due to variation in patch isolation, although actual fragment size had a significant effect on the abundance of native and forest specializing carabid species, and the amount of forest interior habitat had a significant effect on the total number of beetle species and ground beetle species richness (family Carabidae). Fragments which were less isolated on a local scale (within a 2 km radius) had a species composition most similar to that found in continuous forest, regardless of whether the actual forest area was small or large. Marked differences in abundance and biomass were also attributed to variation in the amount of local forest cover. We suggest that a reduction in patch isolation may be an appropriate conservation strategy to improve beetle diversity and abundance in fragmented landscapes.

A predictive model to locate ancient forests in the Cross Timbers of Osage County, Oklahoma

The Cross Timbers are a mosaic of upland deciduous forest, savanna, and glade that typifies the broad ecotone between the eastern deciduous forest and the grasslands of the southern Great Plains. The pre‐settlement Cross Timbers may have covered some 7,909,700 ha from central Texas, across Oklahama into eastern Kansas, and today may represent the least disturbed forest ecosystem of comparable size still left in the eastern United States. Extensive tree‐ring research indicates that ancient forests dominated by 200 to 400 year old post‐oaks (Quercus stellata Wang) survive throughout the Cross Timbers, particularly in Oklahoma. These ancient forests persist largely because the Cross Timbers formation is non‐commercial for timber production, and has not experienced large‐scale industrial logging. Because ancient forest relics are often found on stressful non‐commercial sites in the Cross Timbers and elsewhere, it is possible to design predictive models to locate the specific terrain where undisturbed forests are likely to survive. A predictive model for southern Osage County, Oklahoma, was developed based on the steep, infertile soils of the Niotaze‐Darnell complex. We tested the model with field inspection and tree‐ring analysis of fifty randomly selected belt transects, and 74% of the sampled terrain is still old‐growth Cross Timbers woodland. This translates into 8200 ha of ancient Cross Timbers on this single site type in southern Osage County. The abundance of ancient forest in the Cross Timbers is not widely appreciated. However, large contiguous tracts of ancient Cross Timbers up to 700 ha were identified with this predictive model, strongly supporting inferences concerning the relatively undisturbed nature of this ecosystem.

Bobcat (Lynx rufus) Home Range Size and Habitat Use in Northwest Wisconsin

Bobcats were radio-tagged and monitored to estimate and compare annual and seasonal patterns in home range size and habitat use in northwestern Wisconsin. Annual and seasonal male home ranges extensively overlapped those of other males and females, whereas females maintained more exclusive areas. Annual male home ranges (60.4 km2 ? 23.4 kM2) were 112% larger than those of females (28.5 km2 + 3.7 kM2). Females expanded and contracted their home ranges seasonally; the largest home ranges occurred in winter. Males shifted similar-sized ranges seasonally resulting in larger annual ranges. Male bobcats selected lowland conifer forests, and avoided upland conifer stands, upland deciduous forest and mixed savanna cover-types. Females exhibited similar preferences but also selected for lowland deciduous forests and avoided unforested areas. Seasonal shifts in habitat use were evident for males and females; both used lowland conifer stands more, and unforested areas and upland deciduous forests less, in winter. The selection of lowland coniferous forests by males and females during all seasons suggest these areas are important range components

Watershed liming and pit and mound topography effects on seed banks in the Adirondacks, New York, USA

Seed bank species composition, density, and frequency were evaluated as seedling emergence relative to differences in substrate chemistry associated with watershed liming and pit and mound topography (microsites) on the Woods Lake watershed, western Adirondack Mountains, NY. Liming was expected to affect calcicole and calcifuge species richness and density, while species that form persistent versus transient seed banks were expected to vary with microsite. Two of five subcatchments were limed in October, 1989 with 6.89 t ha −1 of pelletized CaCO 3. Forest floor samples were collected in May 1991 and 1992 from pit, mound, and undisturbed microsites in limed and reference (untreated) subcatchments. Water soluble calcium concentrations in forest floor samples collected in May 1992 from limed subcatchments were almost ten times greater than forest floor samples from reference subcatchments, but there were no differences in soluble calcium concentration among microsites within a subcatchment. Species richness and abundance varied among microsites, but the magnitude depended on year and lime treatment. Relative frequencies of Betula alleghaniensis (yellow birch) and Oxalis acetosella (wood sorrel) exceeded 80% in both years, with a slightly greater frequency from limed than reference subcatchments. Differences in relative frequency for several species between subcatchments were not consistent between years. The relative frequency of all species by microsite was generally greater from limed than reference subcatchments. Total density and the density of individual species by microsite varied between treatments within subcatchments and between years, although some patterns exist. Seed bank patterns vary appreciably between years and among microsites. Differences in seedling emergence from pit versus mound microsites varied between years and depended on whether the microsites were in limed or reference subcatchments. These data suggest that there are no detrimental short-term effects of watershed liming on seed banks of upland deciduous forests. Microsites may affect plant community composition most through germination and survical of propagules.

An Ecological Comparison of Upland Deciduous and Evergreen Forests of Central Texas

An Ecological Comparison of Upland Deciduous and Evergreen Forests of Central Texas

Ecological Association of Bird Species and Habitats in Eastern Australia; Similarity Analysis

Ornithologists have long recognized the fact that bird species tend to be associated with particular habitats. The terrestrial habitats are generally described in terms of vegetation or land use (Palmgren 1930; Moreau 1934; Lack & Venables 1939; Kendeigh 1944), and the species-habitat associations are analysed in terms of ecological and behavioural habitat selection of birds (Lack 1933; Svardson 1949; Klopfer & Hailman 1965). The basis for classification of bird habitats is usually provided by the structural forms of vegetation, which are reflected by the ecological distribution of bird species, However, patterns of resource utilization by birds are complex and are never completely matched by hierarchical arrangements of plant communities. Thus, recognized assemblages of bird species for a given habitat may not share the boundaries with plant communities within major formation types (Kendeigh 1948, 1954), nor is it possible to predict precisely the distribution and abundance of species in relation to any particular features of vegetation (MacArthur 1964). Bond (1957) studied the ecological distribution of birds from the viewpoint of the continuum concept (Curtis & McIntosh 1951) and demonstrated a high correlation between the order of avifaunal similarity and the phytosociological order within the upland deciduous forests of southern Wisconsin. However, several species showed little or no quantitative response to the vegetational differences along the gradient of xeric to mesic sites and the response of each species to this gradient was unique. These classificatory problems are viewed dynamically by Elton (1966) who has proposed a system of habitat inventory which extends beyond the physiognomic and structural characters normally used in the classification of vegetation. It is aimed at a synthesis that will describe not only the parts of a complex system but also the interaction and balance between them, as well as the dynamic properties of the system as a whole (Elton & Miller 1954). Such a classification demands a long-term study of habitats with their varying features and of animal populations in them. On the one hand major requirements of the species must be studied in relation to the principal limiting factors of the environment and the characteristic features or structures of the habitat. On the other hand the dynamic aspect of a species network must be followed through the utilization of resources by various key species. This kind of approach in animal ecology is largely neglected in Australia. This is partly because ecological problems demanding practical solutions are identified in terms of human exploitation of resources in semi-arid environments where physical factors fluctuate violently (Andrewartha & Birch 1954). However, the coastal fringe of the Australian continent supports relatively stable environments of what are often called the zoogeographical 'refuge' areas in which a number of species of birds are considered to have evolved simultaneously (Gentilli 1949; Serventy 1953; Keast 1961). Here the