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Trees Survive Windstorms in Upland Hardwood Forest
In 1995, Hurricane Opal toppled trees throughout the South, including parts of the southern Appalachians. Wind is a common canopy disturbance in upland oak-hickory forests, but little has been reported on naturally formed large gaps of more than six trees where a partial canopy remains. With Erik Berg, SRS researchers Stanley Zarnoch and Henry McNab observed and modeled tree survivorship in and around 12 large gaps created by the hurricane. The scientists monitored the sites for 20 years. Many survivorship studies only last for five years or so, which may not be long enough to understand survivorship dynamics.
Latest Publications
- Intra-annual variation in soil C, N and nutrients pools after prescribed fire in a Mississippi longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) plantation
Butnor, John R.; Johnsen, Kurt H.; Maier, Christopher A.; Nelson, C. Dana. - Effects of thinning and prescribed fire frequency on ground flora in mixed Pinus-hardwood stands
Barefoot, Carson R.; Willson, Kevin G.; Hart, Justin L.; Schweitzer, Callie J.; Dey, Daniel C. - Effects of fire and its severity on occupancy of bats in mixed pine-oak forests
Burns, Leanne K.L.; Loeb, Susan C.; Bridges, William C. - Growth, Photosynthesis, and Cold Tolerance of Eucalyptus benthamii Planted in the Piedmont of North Carolina
Butnor, John ; Johnsen, Kurt ; Anderson, Peter ; Hall, Kevin ; Halman, Joshua ; Hawley, Gary ; Maier, Christopher ; Schaberg, Paul G. - Phenotypic variation in climate-associated traits of red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) along elevation gradients in the southern Appalachian Mountains
Butnor, John ; Verrico, Brittany ; Johnsen, Kurt ; Maier, Christopher ; Vankus, Victor ; Keller, Stephen R.