BRYOPHYTE ASSEMBLAGES ON AMERICAN HORNBEAM (CARPINUS CAROLINIANA) AND THE SURROUNDING ARBOREAL COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE FOREST OF EAST TEXAS

<p>The bryophytes, the non-vascular plants, include the mosses (Bryophyta with approximately 13,000 species), the liverworts (Marchantiophyta with approximately 5,000 species), and the hornworts (Anthocerotophyta with approximately 150 species). Initial observations indicated that the midstory tree Carpinus caroliniana Walter (American hornbeam) has a bryophyte composition with an unusually high diversity of leafy liverworts. Voucher samples were taken from the four intercardinal directions (Northeast, Northwest, Southwest, and Southeast) from six Carpinus trees and their nearest neighbor that was neither Pinus nor another Carpinus at each of six sites across East Texas. Percent coverage, species richness, Shannon’s diversity and Pielou’s evenness were computed. Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) was used to determine bryophyte community and site variability. Percent Coverage, Shannon’s Diversity Index, and Pielou’s Evenness indicate that Carpinus trees have a significantly higher leafy liverwort component than that of Non-Carpinus trees. The two sites in the Davey Crockett National Forest had been recently burned, the burn reaching the trees that were sampled in one of the sites but not the other. Although confounded, the two Davey Crockett sites indicated potential effects of prescribed burns on bryophyte diversity that would need further investigating.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science - Biology

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biology

Year dc:date.available

2018

Author dc:creator

• Edwards, Cassey

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Don Pratt
• Dr. Jeremy Stovall
• Dr. James VanKley

• Bryophytes
• Carpinus
• East Texas
• Biology
• Forest Sciences
• Plant Sciences

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/228

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarworks.sfasu.edu:etds-1244