RELATING LAND-USE HISTORY AND CLIMATE TO THE DENDROECOLOGY OF A 326-YEAR-OLD QUERCUS-PRINUS TALUS SLOPE FOREST

Dendroecology and land-use history were used to investigate the ecolog ical history of a 326-year-old Quercus prinus L. forest, Quercus prinu s, Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh., and Pinus rigida Mill. dominated this talus slope prior to European settlement based on witness tree re cords. Oak species have exhibited continuous recruitment over three ce nturies probably in response to periodic fire and wind disturbances. W hile the stand escaped the direct impacts of timber cutting and the ch arcoal iron industry, the indirect effects of these land-use practices increased growth and recruitment. Different criteria were used for un derstory versus overstory trees to improve our detection of growth rel eases. Overall, major disturbances occurred approximately every 40 and 31 years before and after European settlement, respectively. This cen tury, old-growth Q. prinus experienced marked growth increases coupled with high recruitment following the introduction of the chestnut blig ht (Cryphonectria parasitica (Murr.) Barr.) to the stand in 1909. Tree growth was also highly correlated with temperature and Palmer drought severity indices between 1895 and 1995. Climatic fluctuations in the 1820s-1830s and 1920s reduced radial growth and recruitment resulting in stem exclusion stages following regeneration pulses. Relating land- use history and climatic data to the dendroecology of this forest impr oved our understanding of its historical development.