Early understory succession following catastrophic wind damage in a deciduous forest

Early succession was followed in a 2.5-ha gap created by a severe wind stor m in a 5.5-ha fragment of eastern North American deciduous forest. Understo ry vegetation cover by species, light, soil moisture, and levels of several major nutrients were measured in 1 + 2 m census plots 3 years prior to the disturbance. Coincidentally, the storm felled 50-55% of the trees over a p ortion of these plots. Vegetation cover by species was again measured in al l plots 3 years following the disturbance. Species were grouped by growth f orm, and group cover values used to examine changes in the composition of t he vegetation and to determine whether these changes were correlated with a ny measured predisturbance environmental variables. Given the size of the g ap, shade-intolerant tree species were expected to increase but did not, mo st likely because of repression by the shrub layer. The main response to th e disturbance appeared to occur through reorganization of existing vegetati on. The value of predisturbance species cover data and limitations of our s ample sizes are discussed.