Disturbance Interactions and Catastrophic Blowdown in a Rocky Mountain Subalpine Forest Landscape

本研究探讨了目前的景观格局是如何影响当代的进程，以及被先决条件的前因变量。 干扰生态学和植被动态学的当代理论对历史背景和空间异质性越来越敏感。 这项研究利用了落基山脉南部最大的森林砍伐之一，这发生在1997年底，影响了近8000公顷。 排污前的扰动历史将根据树木年轮数据确定，并根据排污前的航空照片绘制。 将与排放后的条件进行比较。 附近的地点将作为“控制”，以检查全套潜在的干扰相互作用，如火灾，树皮甲虫爆发，或伐木作业所产生的。 研究结果将提供深入了解植被动态，并将在未来的环境变化情景下的森林资源管理的关键影响。

The research examines how present landscape patterns are influenced by contemporary processes as well as being preconditioned by antecedent variables. Contemporary theory in disturbance ecology and vegetation dynamics is increasingly sensitive to historical context and attentive to spatial heterogeneity. The study takes advantage of one of the largest forest blowdowns in the southern Rocky Mountains, which occurred in late 1997 and affected almost 8000 hectares. Pre-blowdown disturbance history will be determined from tree-ring data and mapped on the basis of pre-blowdown aerial photographs. Comparisons to post-blowdown conditions will be made. Nearby sites will act as `controls` to examine the full set of potential disturbance interactions such as those arising from fire, bark beetle outbreaks, or logging operations. Results will provide insight into vegetation dynamics and will have critical implications for management of forest resources under future environmental change scenarios.