Forest herb colonization of postagricultural forests in central New York State, USA

Citation
R. Singleton et al., Forest herb colonization of postagricultural forests in central New York State, USA, J ECOLOGY, 89(3), 2001, pp. 325-338
Citations number
51
Categorie Soggetti
Environment/Ecology
Journal title
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
ISSN journal
00220477 → ACNP
Volume
89
Issue
3
Year of publication
2001
Pages
325 - 338
Database
ISI
SICI code
0022-0477(200106)89:3<325:FHCOPF>2.0.ZU;2-S
Abstract
1 The recovery of forest vegetation following abandonment of agriculture wa s followed by surveying forest herbs in central New York State at 25 sites where postagricultural forest occurred directly adjacent to old-woods (fore st that has never been ploughed). 2 The abundance, richness and diversity of 50 forest herbs were on average lower in postagricultural forests than in old-woods. 3 Thirty of 39 forest herbs that were found in at least four stands were le ss frequent (number of plots present out of 60) in postagricultural forests than in old-woods. Three species (Aster divaricatus, Dryopteris intermedia and Polystichum acrostichoides) had significantly higher frequency in old- woods, while none was significantly more common in postagricultural forests . 4 Although differences among species in their frequency in the two forest t ypes were not strongly related to dispersal mode, species with rapid clonal expansion were significantly more frequent in postagricultural stands. 5 Several species that were less frequent in postagricultural forests than in old-woods showed decreases in density in postagricultural forests with i ncreasing distance from the adjacent old-woods.