Measuring Acute and Long-term Shifts in Forest Structure and Composition Post-Beech Bark Disease in Ten Permanent Plots in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Rumble, Lee

Summary of proposed field methods and activities: PROPOSED WORK: Our work will focus on re-assessing the ten high-elevation permanent plots established in 1994 to monitor the BBD complex (Taylor 2012, Forest Health Monitoring Summary 378) with the goal of detecting both acute and long-term changes in forest structure and composition post-BBD. However, due to time and sampling restraints, we will not collect data on beech scale (Cryptococcus fagisuga) or fungal associations (Nectria spp.) since assessments of C. fagisuga and Nectria spp. require twice a year monitoring (once in spring/summer and once in fall/winter) due to the life stage of each organism. Any evidence of scale or fungal infection observed within plots will be noted, but not formally quantified. FIELD METHODS: We will re-sample all ten high-elevation beech plots originally established in 1994 (Sweat Heifer, Jenkins Knob, Forney Ridge, Trillium Gap, Deep Creek, Indian Gap, Chimneys, Fork Ridge, Newfound Gap, and Gregory Bald). At each plot, we will re-collect many of the same metrics established in the American Beech Monitoring Database. Our work will follow the Beech Bark Disease Monitoring Protocol for GRSM document (excluding scale and Nectria ratings). These plots have been monitored and data has been collected biennially by Glenn Taylor from 1994 to 2012. Prominent metrics surveyed within plots and subplots will include: all woody species and associated Dbh, re-identification of all tagged trees (to re-evaluate life status), crown position class, crown condition (after fulfillment of the U.S. Forest Service Crown Condition Rating training), number of dead or live American beech trees, seedling density class, dominant species, and finally, a qualitative analysis of any disturbances will be noted for later discussion (i.e., fire, windthrown trees, disease, insect, wildlife, and/or anthropogenic sources). SPECIMEN COLLECTION: A single leaf will be collected from each permanently tagged beech tree (when possible) for future genetic work. Each leaf will be stored in silica gel desiccant to rapidly preserve DNA. Material will be stored in the Morris lab for future processing. While genetic work is outside the scope of the current proposal, it is more efficient to sample this material in tandem with the field work proposed here than to do this separately at a later date. A future student will use this leaf material to investigate sexual vs asexual recruitment in beech gaps and to determine if there have been shifts in reproductive strategy in response to BBD. Contact information for repository: MTSU Morris Lab; c/o Dr. Ashley Morris; 1301 E. Main Street; Murfreesboro, TN 37132; (615-494-7621 / ashley.morris@mtsu.edu) DATA ANALYSIS AND STORAGE: Data analysis will be completed at MTSU with help from master’s thesis principal investigator, Dr. Ashley Morris and thesis committee co-advisers. All data will be organized and maintained as a Microsoft Excel file, and submitted to the National Park Service (NPS) Data Store. All raw data, written results, and any publications resulting from work in the park will be forwarded to the NPS Data Store upon completion of the project. Prominent data analyses will include: identifying shifts in overstory and understory dominance and composition, changes in mean basal area and stem density by species, frequency occurrence and associated importance values. In addition, species richness, species evenness, and Shannon’s diversity index will be completed for each plot. FUNDING: Currently, no internal or external funding is provided for this project.