DENDROECOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF SUCCESSIONAL DYNAMICS FOR A PRESETTLEMENT-ORIGIN WHITE-PINE MIXED-OAK FOREST IN THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS, USA

1 Prior to European settlement, Quercus alba, Castanea dentata, Carya spp. and Pinus strobus dominated Ridge and Valley forests in southern West Virginia. Dendroecological techniques were used to study the dist urbance history and successional dynamics of one of the few remaining valley-floor remnants of this primary forest type. 2 The uneven-aged f orest is presently dominated by P. strobus, Acer rubrum, Q. alba, Q. r ubra and Q. velutina. Quercus alba and P. strobus represented most of the oldest and largest trees in the forest, while Acer, Fagus and Tsug a were the youngest and smallest. Maximum age was 295 years for Q. alb a and 231 years for P. strobus. 3 There was continuous recruitment of Q. alba trees from 1700 to 1990. The abundance of P. strobus increased between 1830 and 1900, with a peak in the 1870s associated with relea ses in radial growth. The subsequent peak recruitment of Q. rubra and Q. velutina from 1880 to 1900 is suggestive of possible facilitation o f these species by P. strobus. Following the cessation of Pinus and Qu ercus recruitment in 1900, Acer, Fagus and Tsuga abundance increased, particularly A. rubrum. 4 Radial growth chronologies across all specie s and age classes exhibited a series of major or moderate releases at regular intervals (typically every 20-30 years). However, the asynchro nous nature of these releases suggests that they were caused by a seri es of small-scale disturbances, such as fire and wind-throw, each of w hich had localized impacts within the stand. 5 We believe that Pinus a nd Quercus were maintained in this stand during the 18th and 19th cent uries by periodic disturbance, in particular fire, which would have el iminated later successional species. The lack of Pinus and Quercus rec ruitment after 1900 and the subsequent increase in Acer, Fagus and Tsu ga indicates the transitional nature of this forest in the absence of fire. 6 Coupling of tree-ring chronologies and species establishment d ates greatly increased our understanding of the disturbance history an d dynamics of this old-growth forest, and we believe this represents a n important approach to the study of species life-history attributes a nd ecological history in general.