Compositional and Structural Change in the Deciduous-Boreal Ecotone of the Great Smoky Mountains since the 1930s
Tuttle J. 2016. Compositional and Structural Change in the Deciduous-Boreal Ecotone of the Great Smoky Mountains since the 1930s
This work revisited vegetation plots established by Frank Miller in the 1930s to study the changes over the past 75 years in forest composition and structure at the deciduous-boreal ecotone of the Great Smoky Mountains. The changes observed mostly seemed a result of the decline of Fraser fir and American beech since the 1930s because of introduced pests/pathogens. Tree basal area remained the same but density of stems were higher, caused by increases of the smallest size class of non-fir/beech species. Beech and fir densities declined by 50%. Higher elevations in this ecotone are dominated by red spruce and yellow birch more so than in the 1930s.
- Type
- Generic Dataset
- Authors
- Tuttle, Julie
- Date of Issue
- 2016-10-11
- Units
- GRSM
- Keywords
- APHN, Appalachian Highlands Network, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, GRSM, GRSM Permitted Study ID: GRSM-00320, SER, Southeast Region
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Forest/Woodland Communities