Tree Composition Along Edaphic and Hydrologic Gradients in Nonriverine Wet Hardwood Forests

We sampled seven intact nonriverine wet hardwood forests to establish target ranges for vegetation, soils and hydrology and to examine trends in plant species composition along a wetness gradient. Although quantitative vegetation analysis for this community has been published, broad drainage classes were used to represent a moisture gradient. We investigated trends along a finer-scaled wetness gradient utilizing a novel wetness index that incorporated indicators of saturated soils. Understanding small-scale patterns in plant community composition is useful in planning wetland restoration projects. Although no strong relationship was found between wetness index classes and plant community composition, these data represent the vegetative community supported by soils specific to each wetness class. Absence of this relationship is most likely a result of the dominance of A. rubrum and L. styraciflua in all wetness classes as well as a history of disturbance in each forest and other unknown stochastic variables. For the restorationist hoping to restore a historic nonriverine wet hardwood forest, once known as oak flats, we can suggest guidelines for restoring hydrology to the wetness classes in which we found oaks with high importance.

Author dc:creator

• Morris, Tracy Catharine

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Dr. Michael Vepraskas, Committee Co-Chair
• Dr. Jon Stucky, Committee Member
• Dr. Theodore H. Shear, Committee Chair

• gradient analysis
• hydrologic gradient
• hydric soils
• nonriverine wetlands

Statement dc:rights

• I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to NC State University or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report.

Dc Identifier Other

etd-04102005-161445

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