Ja. Kupfer et Sb. Franklin, Evaluation of an ecological land type classification system, Natchez TraceState Forest, western Tennessee, USA, LANDSC URB, 49(3-4), 2000, pp. 179-190
Citations number
42
Categorie Soggetti
Environment/Ecology,"EnvirnmentalStudies Geografy & Development
In an effort to aid future research and forest management decisions, we inc
orporated data on forest type, soils and topography into a geographic infor
mation systems (GIS)-based ecological land classification system for Natche
z Trace State Forest (NTSF) in western Tennessee. The area is still recover
ing from the effects of cultivation, logging, forest clearing and grazing d
uring the 1800s and early 1900s, but the data indicated that most stands no
w contain sawtimber-sized trees after more than 50 years of secondary succe
ssion. Our analyses showed that forest types were not randomly associated w
ith soil characteristics or topography. For example, the most heavily gulli
ed lands were strongly associated with pine forests while hardwoods were mo
re associated with upland soils and certain types of sideslopes. Mature har
dwood stands, which were deemed to be of the greatest conservation value, w
ere classified into eight ecological land types based on soil type, aspect,
orientation and topographic setting for further study. When these land typ
es were evaluated with respect to data on forest composition and environmen
tal conditions collected in the field, we found that the variables used to
derive the eight classes were important in influencing floristic patterns.
It was, however, clear that the classes themselves imperfectly captured pat
terns of overstory community composition for a number of reasons. Thus, whi
le land types provide a potentially valuable management tool, their utility
and successful implementation are dependent upon a recognition of their in
herent limitations. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.