Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Role of Historical and Environmental Factors in the Invasion of Pine Forests in the Florida Panhandle

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McCay, Deanna U. of Georgia This dissertation proposal intends to analyze the spatial and temporal patterns of sand pine expansion at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. An air photo-based landscape level analysis will be used to determine the historic origin of sand pine and the nature of sand pine expansion over topographic and edaphic features. The documentation of past land use, including information such as fire dates, logging history, climatic information and grazing patterns will be used to assist in the illumination of the causal mechanisms of landscape change. At a more local scale, it is proposed to determine the composition and structure of existing pine forests with stand-level sampling and tree core collection to assess the influence of disturbance history on these characteristics. In addition, the study will explore relationships among sand pine regeneration, light levels, community composition and incremental growth patterns. The study will yield new knowledge of historical and environmental effects on plant communities operating at different spatial and temporal scales.