Dissertation Research: Plant Community Dynamics in Southeastern Coastal Plain Hardwood Forests; Demography of Dominant Overstory Species

美国东南部的9321680片平原中阔叶林有两个不同的层，有丰富的常绿树种和落叶树种。飓风是这些森林系统中一种主要和常见的干扰。人们提出了两种截然不同的理论模型：周期演替模型和扰动动力学模型。PI将检验从这些对比模型中得出的特定假设。这些假设集中于大范围干扰对盖层物种种群预期趋势的影响，特别是参照1980年代中期S袭击该地区的飓风凯特的影响。分析将基于1978年最初采样和绘制的4.5公顷永久样地的数据。PI将重新绘制地块图，并使用时间数据集来解决一系列问题和预测，这些问题和预测涉及这些森林中物种替换的模式和随着时间的推移群落动态。虽然这个项目将侧重于南部沿海平原阔叶林的动态，但这些分析解决了关于自生和异种因素在控制森林生态系统中的群落动态和物种多样性方面的相对重要性的一般性问题和问题。***

9321680 Platt Mesic hardwood forests of the southeastern United States have two distinct strata with a rich mixture of evergreen and deciduous species of trees. Hurricanes are a major and common disturbance in these forest systems. Two contrasting theoretical models have been proposed: the cyclical succession model and the disturbance dynamics model. The PI's will test specific hypotheses derived from these contrasting models. The hypotheses focus on effects of large scale disturbances on the expected trend in populations of overstory species, specifically in reference to the impacts of Hurricane Kate which struck this area in the mid-1980's. The analyses will be based on data derived from a 4.5 ha permanent plot that was originally sampled and mapped in 1978. The PI's will remap the plot and use the temporal data set to address a series of questions and predictions concerning patterns of species replacement and community dynamics over time in these forests. %%% Although this project will focus on dynamics in southern coastal plain hardwood forests, these analyses address general problems and questions regarding the relative importance of autogenic and allogenic factors in the control of community dynamics and species diversity in forest ecosystems. ***