AGE DISTRIBUTION OF RAMETS OF A FOREST HERB, WILD SARSAPARILLA, ARALIA-NUDICAULIS (ARALIACEAE)

We measured ages of Aralia nudicaulis (Wild Sarsaparilla) ramets and s ite variables in a northern hardwood forest to determine how their age distributions might be affected by local environment and forest canop y disturbances. We measured ages in ten populations and at random poin ts on two 600 m transects. Age distributions at ten sites ranged from negative exponential to uniform. Sites with many young ramets were moi st and had high light intensities, conditions that may promote the est ablishment of new clones and recruitment of new ramets. Sites with man y older ramets were dry and had low light intensities, and thus probab ly have fewer resources with which clones could initiate ramets. The f orest-wide age distribution was a negative exponential distribution an d represented a composite of different sites each of which reflected l ocal environmental conditions and disturbance histories. Ramet recruit ment may increase following any forest canopy disturbance with the gre atest response after logging and the smallest after gypsy moth outbrea ks.