Relations between stand age and species composition in a riparian forest in Northwestern Montana

Chipko, Katie

Riparian forests are highly integrated with the hydrology of floodplains and are dependent on both flooding events and access to groundwater for establishment and survival. While the dynamics of cottonwood establishment and growth have been thoroughly examined in relation to hydrological characteristics of the floodplain, there is limited information on successional patterns within the floodplain, particularly in relation to how species composition is related to stand age and groundwater dynamics. The purpose of the study was to examine the interactions between stand age, species composition, and aboveground biomass as well as briefly examine the roles of groundwater and stand location in determining species composition. In addition, the accuracy of using remote sensing based age class information in determining stand age was examined. It was found that remote sensing based age class information was effective in predicted actual age class (R^2=0.8053, p=1.22E-9). Total above ground biomass and the proportion of the number of conifer trees were both found to follow an increasing logistic relationship in relation to stand age. Finally, there was significant spatial variation in the number of conifer trees per site (p=0.0135), with a higher number of conifer trees present in stands at the top of the floodplain, which is in general downwelling, than at the bottom, which is in general upwelling. This difference suggests that there would be linkages between conifer development and groundwater dynamics.

Relations between stand age and species composition in a riparian forest in Northwestern Montana

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