History of eastern oak forests

2016 ◽  
pp. 7-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Abrams
Keyword(s):  
Oak Forests ◽  
History Of

Community, edaphic, and historical analysis of mixed oak forests of the Ridge and Valley Province in central Pennsylvania

1992 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 790-800 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory J. Nowacki ◽  
Marc D. Abrams
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Detrended Correspondence Analysis ◽  
Oak Forests ◽  
European Settlement ◽  
Central Pennsylvania ◽  
Quercus Species ◽  
History Of ◽  
Successional Species ◽  
Ridge And Valley

Fifty-nine mixed oak stands in the Ridge and Valley Province of central Pennsylvania were sampled to evaluate the potential for oak replacement by later successional species or oak stability across a diverse landscape. Using species importance, stands were separated into four groups along detrended correspondence analysis axes 1 and 2. Betulalenta L.–Quercusprinus L.–Quercusrubra L. and Q. prinus–Q. rubra groups occurred on sandstone-based Inceptisols and Ultisols on ridges, whereas mixed–Quercus and Quercusalba L. groups were representative of limestone-based Alfisols on valley floors. Quercus species dominated the overstory of all groups; however, the understories mainly comprised shade-adapted Acerrubrum L., Acerpensylvanicum L., and (or) B. lenta on the xeric ridges and A. rubrum and Prunusserotina Ehrh. in the mesic valleys. The presettlement forests consisted of Quercus, Pinus, and Castaneadentata (Marsh.) Borkh. on the ridges and Quercus, Pinus, and Carya in the valleys. Comparisons between presettlement and present-day forests indicate that Pinusstrobus L. and C. dentata have declined dramatically, whereas Quercus species have increased. Changes in disturbance patterns following European settlement (e.g., the charcoal iron industry) initially favored Quercus expansion, followed later by increases in Acer, Prunus, and Betula. Under existing conditions where large-scale disturbances from fire or logging are minimal, Quercus species are expected to decline slowly in importance, being replaced by Acer, Prunus, and (or) Betula species regardless of site moisture relations. Thus, mixed oak forests do not appear to represent a prominent edaphic climax in the region, despite the long history of oak domination.

scholarly journals LONG-TERM HISTORY OF VEGETATION AND FIRE IN PITCH PINE–OAK FORESTS ON CAPE COD, MASSACHUSETTS

Ecology ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 736-748 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Parshall ◽  
D. R. Foster ◽  
E. Faison ◽  
D. MacDonald ◽  
B. C. S. Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Cape Cod ◽  
Oak Forests ◽  
History Of Vegetation ◽  
Pitch Pine ◽  
History Of

The establishment and development of oak forests in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (8) ◽  
pp. 1790-1797 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rick D Soucy ◽  
Eric Heitzman ◽  
Martin A Spetich
Keyword(s):  
Fire Suppression ◽  
Timber Harvesting ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Oak Forests ◽  
Quercus Alba ◽  
Northern Red Oak ◽  
Ozark Mountains ◽  
White Oak ◽  
Fire Scar ◽  
History Of

The disturbance history of six mature white oak (Quercus alba L.) – northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) – hickory (Carya spp.) stands in the Ozark Mountains of northern Arkansas were reconstructed using tree-ring and fire-scar analysis. Results indicate that all six stands originated in the early 1900s following timber harvesting and (or) fire. These disturbances initiated a pulse of oak-dominated establishment. Most sites were periodically burned during the next several decades. Abrupt radial growth increases in all stands during the 1920s to 1940s reflected additional disturbances. These perturbations likely provided growing space for existing trees, but did not result in increased seedling establishment. Thus, multiple disturbances were important in the origin and development of the stands studied. By the 1930s and 1940s, oak establishment was replaced by shade-tolerant, fire-intolerant non-oak species; few oak recruited into tree size classes after the 1950s. The decrease in oaks and the increase in non-oaks coincided with fire suppression. Few scars were recorded during the past 60–70 years. Prescribed fire may be an important management tool in regenerating oak forests in northern Arkansas.

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