Cornus florida L. mortality and understory composition changes in western Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Jenkins MA and White PS. 2002. Cornus florida L. mortality and understory composition changes in western Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society. 129(3):194-206
Heavy mortality of Cornus florida L. was observed in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which was likely a result of infection by Discula destructiva Redlin, a destructive fungus that causes dogwood anthracnose. The impact of losing C. florida on a widespread scale will affect numerous ecological relationships in the forests including calcium availability, nutrient cycling, and food source availability for wildlife.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Jenkins, Michael; White, Peter
- Units
- GRSM
- Keywords
- Cornus florida L., Discula destructiva Redlin, Dogwood anthracnose, Mortality, Southern Appalachians, understory composition change