Fifty years of natural revegetation on a landslide in Franconia Notch, New Hampshire, U.S.A.

2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (12) ◽  
pp. 1477-1485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valter Francescato ◽  
Michele Scotton ◽  
Daniel J Zarin ◽  
James C Innes ◽  
David M Bryant
Keyword(s):  
New Hampshire ◽  
Floristic Composition ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Aerial Photographs ◽  
National Forest ◽  
Betula Alleghaniensis ◽  
Betula Papyrifera ◽  
Vegetation Zones ◽  
Natural Revegetation ◽  
White Mountain National Forest

We describe natural revegetation dynamics on landslides that occurred in 1948 and 1959 in Franconia Notch, New Hampshire, U.S.A. Analysis of aerial photographs from 1958, 1978, and 1996 indicate that the rate of revegetation of the landslide surface decreased over time, probably because of early saturation of easily colonized sites. In the 1948 landslide, we found that width and slope steepness within the landslide influenced the revegetation rate, while elevation did not. On the 1959 landslide, none of the tested factors were significantly correlated with vegetation recovery. Recolonization of narrow erosional zones tended to occur from the landslide edges inward; recolonization of wider erosional zones also occurred outward from islands of vegetation within the landslide. Floristic inventories were conducted in 1956 and 1996 using the point-centered quarter method and fixed plots of 1 m2 and were processed using cluster analysis, resulting in a grouping of the 1956 and 1996 plots into four and five clusters, respectively. The 1956 clusters consisted of exclusively herbaceous vegetation (zones with greater erosion) or prevalently shrub-arboreal vegetation, with Betula cordifolia Regel. dominant at high elevation and Betula papyrifera Marsh. and Betula alleghaniensis Britton dominant at low to middle elevation. The 1996 vegetation was characterized by prevalence of arboreal canopy made up of differing proportions of birch species, which varied with elevation.Key words: disturbance, floristic composition, regeneration, recolonization, succession, White Mountain National Forest.

Trace organochlorine contamination of the forest floor of the White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire

1993 ◽  
Vol 27 (10) ◽  
pp. 2244-2246 ◽  
Author(s):  
William H. Smith ◽  
Robert C. Hale ◽  
John Greaves ◽  
Robert J. Huggett
Keyword(s):  
New Hampshire ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
National Forest ◽  
White Mountain National Forest

scholarly journals Climate-Related Distribution Shifts of Migratory Songbirds and Sciurids in the White Mountain National Forest

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 84
Author(s):  
Aimee Van Tatenhove ◽  
Emily Filiberti ◽  
T. Scott Sillett ◽  
Nicholas Rodenhouse ◽  
Michael Hallworth
Keyword(s):  
Bird Species ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
National Forest ◽  
Spring Temperature ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Warm Spring ◽  
Migratory Songbirds ◽  
White Mountain National Forest ◽  
Spring Temperatures ◽  
Distribution Shifts

Climate change has been linked to distribution shifts and population declines of numerous animal and plant species, particularly in montane ecosystems. The majority of studies suggest both that low-elevation avian and small mammal species are shifting up in elevation and that high-elevation avian communities are either shifting further upslope or relocating completely with an increase in average local temperatures. However, recent research suggests numerous high elevation montane species are either not shifting or are shifting down in elevation despite the local increasing temperature trends, perhaps as a result of the increased precipitation at high elevations. In this study, we examine common vertebrate species distributions across the Hubbard Brook valley in the White Mountain National Forest, including resident and migratory songbirds and small mammals, in relation to historic spring temperature and precipitation. We found no directional change in distributions through time for any of the species. However, we show that the majority of low-elevation bird species in our study area respond to warm spring temperatures by shifting upslope. All bird species that shifted were long-distance migrants. Each low-elevation migrant species responded differently to warm spring temperatures, through upslope distribution expansion, downslope distribution contraction, or total distribution shift upslope. In contrast, we found a majority of high-elevation bird species and both high- and low-elevation mammal species did not shift in response to spring temperature or precipitation and may be subject to more complex climate trends. The heterogeneous response to climate change highlights the need for more comprehensive studies on the subject and careful consideration for appropriate species and habitat management plans in northeastern montane regions.

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