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Harvard Forest REU Symposium Abstract 2010
- Title: Changes in vegetation composition of temperate forest following a clear cut at Harvard Forest
- Author: Crystal Garcia (Baylor University)
- Abstract:
The classification of vegetative species present in the clear cut and the composition of the vegetation were examined in a fifteen acre site at Harvard Forest, Petersham Massachusetts. Formerly a Norway spruce (Picea abies) plantation, the site was cleared approximately two years ago. Post disturbance, vegetation follows recognized patterns of regrowth. The research site is in the early stage of forest succession, when we anticipate that shade intolerant pioneer species will be abundant and account for a large percentage of vegetative cover. We conducted a botanical inventory and assess species-level vegetation density with a line-intercept transect method, as well as sapling/seedling plots to measure stem density. We also assessed the leaf area index of individual species. The data we collected was compared with Harvard Forest research scientist Audrey Barker Plotkin’s pre-harvest data to evaluate changes in vegetation species and composition over the growing season. In addition we resampled the vegetation transects and seedling/sapling plots to capture changes in species and shifts in composition as the growing season ensued. We find that shrub species were most abundant and covered more than one third of the landscape. Woody debris also covered nearly a third of the clear cut. Pioneer species pin cherry (Prunus pennsylvanica) and its associate species black cherry (Prunus serotina) had the highest stem densities. Comparison with pre-harvest data showed an increase in Allegheny blackberry (Rubus allegheniennsis) and a decrease in herbaceous understory species. These results demonstrate high plant diversity by the second growing season following clearing. As the site enters later stages of succession our baseline data will serve as a basis for comparison as new plant species and shifts in percent composition emerge.
- Research Category: Group Projects
