Long-Term Response of a Forest Watershed Ecosystem

Long-Term Response of a Forest Watershed Ecosystem
Author: Wayne T. Swank
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 274
Release: 2014-02-03
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0199708401

Our North American forests are no longer the wild areas of past centuries; they are an economic and ecological resource undergoing changes from both natural and management disturbances. A watershed-scale and long-term perspective of forest ecosystem responses is requisite to understanding and predicting cause and effect relationships. This book synthesizes interdisciplinary studies conducted over thirty years, to evaluate responses of a clear-cut, cable-logged watershed at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory in the Nantahala Mountain Range of western North Carolina. This research was the result of collaboration among Forest Service and university researchers on the most studied watershed in the Lab's 78-year history. During the experiment, a variety of natural disturbances occurred: two record floods, two record droughts, a major hurricane, a blizzard of the century, major forest diseases, and insect infestations. These disturbances provided a unique opportunity to study how they altered the recovery of the forest ecosystem. This book also shows that some long-term forest trends cannot be forecast from short-term findings, which could lead to incorrect conclusions of cause and effect relationships and natural resource management decisions.

Forest Hydrology and Ecology at Coweeta

Forest Hydrology and Ecology at Coweeta
Author: Wayne T. Swank
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 463
Release: 2012-12-06
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1461237327

Coweeta is one of the oldest continuously operating laboratories of its type in the world. For the first time, a complete review and summary of more than 50 years study of the hydrological and ecological responses of baseline and managed Southern Appalachian hardwood forests at Coweeta is now supplied by this volume. The long-term research approach represents a continuum of theory, experimentation and application using watersheds as landscape units of investigation. Thus, the information encompasses a wide range of interpretations and interests. In addition to in-depth analyses of terrestrial and stream processes, the breadth of coverage includes historical perspectives and relevance of ecosystem science to management needs. In a broader sense, the Coweeta research effort is considered from a perspective of national and international forest hydrology and ecology programs.

Improved Allometric Equations for Black Locust (Robinia Pseudoacacia) in the Coweeta Basin

Improved Allometric Equations for Black Locust (Robinia Pseudoacacia) in the Coweeta Basin
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 8
Release: 2021
Genre: Black locust
ISBN:

Allometric equations are widely used to estimate forest aboveground biomass (AGB). However, their development rarely includes the oldest and largest trees, leading to estimation errors. Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is an early successional nitrogen-fixing tree, native to the Eastern United States. It is widespread, often the dominant tree following disturbance, and can be a significant source of new nitrogen to recovering forests. Here we developed allometric equations for black locust to predict AGB and leaf area based on diameter at breast height (DBH). We compiled existing data from our study site and sampled new trees, ranging in size from 6.0-58.5 cm DBH. Destructively harvested new trees were measured for foliage, branch, and bole dry biomass and carbon and nitrogen concentrations. Parameters for our predictive equations were lower than those previously published; existing equations applied to these largest individuals resulted in overestimates of bole and branch biomass on average by 33.6 and 325.3 percent, respectively. We also found that foliage and woody nitrogen concentrations declined with age, together suggesting age-related declines in black locust are greater than other co-occurring species. Our equations significantly improved accuracy of AGB predictions and will aid in site-specific forest biomass estimates and new nitrogen inputs.