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Ground-flora communities of headwater riparian areas in an old-growth central hardwood forest

Informally Refereed

Abstract

The composition and structure of ground-flora vegetation was examined across headwater riparian areas of Johnson Woods, an old-growth forest located in northcentral Ohio. While the distribution patterns of these species groups is variable, classification and gradient analyses indicate that ground-flora vegetation is related strongly to landform and distance from the bankfull channel, suggesting that species are ordered along a complex environment from the stream edge, across the floodplains, and into the adjacent uplands. No significant differences in species richness were observed between the floodplain and upland landforms. However, there are differences in functional lifeform guilds between landforms. Specifically, graminoids, annual forbs, and perennial forbs dominate the floodplains, while woody seedling and vines dominate the adjacent uplands.

Parent Publication

Citation

Goebel, P. Charles; Hix, David M.; Dygert, Clayton E.; Holmes, Kathryn L. 2003. Ground-flora communities of headwater riparian areas in an old-growth central hardwood forest. In: Van Sambeek, J. W.; Dawson, Jeffery O.; Ponder Jr., Felix; Loewenstein, Edward F.; Fralish, James S., eds. Proceedings of the 13th Central Hardwood Forest Conference; Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-234. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station: 136-145
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/15736