To better understand the maintenance of diversity within the genus Carex in the forest understory, I investigated the effects of micro-environmental factors and regeneration patterns on the distribution of four Carex species in an old-growth temperate deciduous forest. Detailed characterization of the micro-environments within 1 m2 plots centered around established individuals of Carex backii, C. communis, C. plantaginea, and C. platyphylla revealed significant differences among species. Carex plantaginea was found at the wet end of a moisture gradient, with C. backii and C. platyphylla at the dry end. Carex backii occurred in plots with higher phosphorus availability and in earlier successional stands than C. platyphylla. Carex communis occurred in the broadest range of micro-environments, often co-occurring with C. backii and C. platyphylla. Both equilibrium and non-equilibrium factors act to maintain diversity within the genus Carex in the forest understory. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

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