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Harvard Forest REU Symposium Abstract 2013

• Title: Are All Clearcuts Created Equal? An Analysis of Species Variability
• Author: Lowell X Chamberlain (SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry)
• Abstract:

  Forest disturbance is an essential part of ecosystem dynamics and function over time. Here, we investigate how species composition recovers from stand replacing disturbances at three clearcut sites in the Harvard Forest LTER. The three sites had a similar mix of plantation softwoods and hardwoods pre-cut, and were harvested within a year and a half time period. By observing the vegetation at three similar sites which experienced the same disturbance, this study attempts to quantify the natural variability present between similar, recovering forests. Species composition was quantified using four, 15 m, transects at each clearcut and recording the total transect length covered by each species. Additionally, we attempted to remotely detect vegetative differences by comparing NDVI at each site with Landsat derived NDVI. Due to the similarity of the three site’s environmental state factors, we hypothesized that the three clearcuts would not have significantly different species compositions. The results of our analysis did not support this hypothesis. Using two-way-ANOVA with species and site, we found that percent cover, between species, was significantly different (p < 0.05). The interaction between species and site was significant (p < 0.05) and dominance was not held by one species throughout all three sites. Additionally there was no significant difference in total cover between sites. Our analysis shows that percent cover of a species is dependent on site. These results indicate that not all clearcuts are created equal and there is significant variability within similarly disturbed recovering forests.

• Research Category: Large Experiments and Permanent Plot Studies