Publication

Recent patterns of forest fragmentation in the Southeast based on stand-level measures (poster)

Pye, J. M. and R. M. Sheffield

Remotely-sensed studies of forest fragmentation provide excellent data on the spatial characteristics of land use types but have greater difficulty discerning subtle shifts in species composition or ownership characteristics. This study draws on US Forest Service data collected periodically at over 26,000 forest locations across the Southeastern US, where detailed plot-based stand information is supplemented by spatial characteristics of the subject stand estimated on the ground with the aid of aerial photos. These data show the median (ha) size of forest stands in the mid-1980's was VA 18, NC 18, SC 16, GA 16, and FL 32 with bottomland hardwoods forming the largest type. Recent remeasurements show reduced median stand sizes for SC (14) and FL (26) and for the three principal hardwood types region-wide. Smaller stands may threaten certain species with narrow habitat requirements but also reveal changes underlying larger scale forest fragmentation in the highly altered landscapes of the southeast US.

Source: resunit   <== Explain

Citation: Pye, J. M. and R. M. Sheffield. 1992. Recent patterns of forest fragmentation in the Southeast based on stand-level measures (poster). Ecological Society of America Bulletin 73(2).

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