Understory vegetation patterns in oak savannas of the Missouri Ozarks

Indigenous oak savannas are among the most endangered natural communities in Missouri. Understanding the floristic patterns which characterize savannas is important for the management and restoration of these rare communities. The purposes of this investigation were to describe the plant communities and identify characteristic species for savannas on different geologic substrates, examine species diversity within and among sites and examine floristic composition with respect to environmental variables, scale, and site history. Understory vegetation was sampled in 200 plots on 13 oak savanna sites in the Ozarks. Ordination by detrended correspondence analysis showed sites grouping by rhyolite, cherty dolomite, and limestone/dolomite substrate types. DCA axes correlated with landscape variables and fire frequency, but correlations were generally weak, suggesting that differences in site history may be important in governing species composition. There was no significant difference between flora lists on cherty-deep to dolomite and cherty-shallow to dolomite substrates in sign test. Species associations were identified for savannas on each DCA substrate type.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Forestry (MU)

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Missouri--Columbia

Year dc:date.issued

1998

Author dc:creator

• Dietrich, Chris

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Rebertus, Alan J.

Language dc:language.iso

eng, English

DOI

https://doi.org/10.32469/10355/110036

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:mospace.umsystem.edu:10355/110036