On the Scarcity of Red Spruce (Picea rubens) and Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri) in the Beech Gaps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Poteat MD and Vandermast DB. 2010. On the Scarcity of Red Spruce (Picea rubens) and Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri) in the Beech Gaps of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Journal of the North Carolina Academy of Science. 126(3):98–104
Relatively small ( 1,400 m) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Within these beech gaps, the more widespread and abundant spruce and fir trees are rarely found. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine whether beech leaf leachate could inhibit germination or suppress early growth of these species. Twelve treatments with different water (dH2O and leachate), soil (beech forest soil and commercial top soil), and seed (lettuce (Lactuca sativa), red spruce, Fraser fir) combinations were tested. The beech forest soil-leachate treatment significantly reduced lettuce germination and the beech forest soil-dH2O treatment reduced aboveground biomass (ABM). The top soil-leachate treatment significantly reduced red spruce germination and ABM relative to other treatments. The beech forest soil-leachate treatment significantly reduced germination and ABM relative to the other treatments for Fraser fir. Beech leaf leachate alone, or in combination with some chemical or physical aspect of beech forest soils, can significantly impair the ability of red spruce and Fraser fir to colonize high-elevation beech gaps.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Poteat, Monica; Vandermast, David
- Units
- GRSM
- Keywords
- Abies fraseri, allelopathy, American beech, beech gaps, Fagus grandifolia, fraser fir, GRSM-00129, Picea rubens, Red Spruce
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Forest/Woodland Communities