Thesis (M.S.)-Oregon State University, 1978. / Includes bibliographical referenes (leaves 151-162). Also available via the Internet.

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As espécies herbáceas terrícolas têm papel fundamental nas interações bióticas que ocorrem no interior de florestas. Entender as relações ecológicas que envolvem este grupo de plantas é essencial para a compreensão da dinâmica de florestas tropicais, sobretudo em ambientes perturbados e complexos, como a floresta tropical atlântica brasileira. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar como as comunidades herbáceas terrícolas se relacionam com as características ambientais de floresta tropical atlântica primária e secundária, no sul do Brasil. Nós coletamos dados sobre composição e estrutura (riqueza, cobertura e altura média) de comunidades herbáceas em 16 parcelas de 36m² em cada habitat florestal. Nós analisamos a variação da composição herbácea nos dois habitats através de Análise de Variância Multivariada por Permutação (PerManova) e executamos uma análise de caminhos, utilizando a abordagem PLS-PM (Partial Least Square Path modeling), para testar efeitos diretos e indiretos da estrutura do componete arbóreo, fertilidade do solo, luminosidade e do componente lenhoso regenerativo na estrutura das comunidades herbáceas. Os resultados da PerManova mostraram que as comunidades herbáceas foram diferentes entre floresta primária e floresta secundária; as variáveis ambientais que significamente contribuiram para essa variação foram a abertura da copa, o pH e o teor de matéria orgânica. A análise de caminhos mostrou que na floresta primária a estrutura da comunidade herbácea foi afetada direta e positivamente pela fertilidade do solo e indireta e negativamente pela estrutura do componente arbóreo através de sua influência direta no componente lenhoso regenerativo; na floresta secundária a estrutura da comunidade herbácea foi afetada diretamente, tanto positivamente pela disponibilidade de luz, quanto negativamente pelo componente lenhoso regenerativo. De uma forma geral, as variáveis consideradas explicaram bem a variação nos dados das comunidades herbáceas. As comunidades herbáceas de florestas primárias e secundárias são diferentes em resposta ao ambiente biótico e abiótico peculiar de cada habitat florestal. A interação entre espécies herbáceas e o componente lenhoso regenerativo parece aumentar na floresta secundária, reforçando a ideia de que as relações entre esses grupos de plantas são intensificadas em ambientes perturbados. / Terrestrial herbs play a fundamental role in biotic interactions occurring inside forests. The study of the ecological relationships involving this plant group is essential for the understanding of the dynamics of tropical forests, especially in complex and disturbed environments, as the Brazilian Atlantic forest. The objective of this study was to evaluate how herb communities are related to environmental characteristics of old-growth and secondary tropical Atlantic Forest in southern Brazil. We collected data on composition and structure (cover, richness and average height) of herbaceous communities in 16 plots with 36 m² in each forest habitat. We used a permutation multivariate analysis of variance (PerMANOVA) to evaluate the variation in composition of herb communities in old-growth and secondary forest and performed a path analysis to test direct and indirect effects of tree component structure, canopy openness, soil fertility and understory woody component on herb community structure. PerMANOVA results showed that composition of herb communities were different between old-growth and secondary forest; the environment variables canopy openness, organic matter, and pH significantly explained a proportion of the variability of the composition of herb communities. Path analysis indicated that in old-growth forest the herb community structure was affected direct and positively by soil fertility and indirect and negatively by the structure of tree component structure as above mediated by its influence on understory woody component. In secondary forest the herb community structure was affected directly and positively by light availability and negatively by the understory woody component. In general, the analysed variables explained well the variation in the herbaceous community data. Herb communities in old-growth and secondary forests respond differently to biotic and abiotic variables. Interactions between woody regeneration and herbaceous communities seem to increase in secondary forest, reinforcing the idea that relations between these plant groups are intensified in disturbed environments.

As espécies herbáceas terrícolas têm papel fundamental nas interações bióticas que ocorrem no interior de florestas. Entender as relações ecológicas que envolvem este grupo de plantas é essencial para a compreensão da dinâmica de florestas tropicais, sobretudo em ambientes perturbados e complexos, como a floresta tropical atlântica brasileira. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar como as comunidades herbáceas terrícolas se relacionam com as características ambientais de floresta tropical atlântica primária e secundária, no sul do Brasil. Nós coletamos dados sobre composição e estrutura (riqueza, cobertura e altura média) de comunidades herbáceas em 16 parcelas de 36m² em cada habitat florestal. Nós analisamos a variação da composição herbácea nos dois habitats através de Análise de Variância Multivariada por Permutação (PerManova) e executamos uma análise de caminhos, utilizando a abordagem PLS-PM (Partial Least Square Path modeling), para testar efeitos diretos e indiretos da estrutura do componete arbóreo, fertilidade do solo, luminosidade e do componente lenhoso regenerativo na estrutura das comunidades herbáceas. Os resultados da PerManova mostraram que as comunidades herbáceas foram diferentes entre floresta primária e floresta secundária; as variáveis ambientais que significamente contribuiram para essa variação foram a abertura da copa, o pH e o teor de matéria orgânica. A análise de caminhos mostrou que na floresta primária a estrutura da comunidade herbácea foi afetada direta e positivamente pela fertilidade do solo e indireta e negativamente pela estrutura do componente arbóreo através de sua influência direta no componente lenhoso regenerativo; na floresta secundária a estrutura da comunidade herbácea foi afetada diretamente, tanto positivamente pela disponibilidade de luz, quanto negativamente pelo componente lenhoso regenerativo. De uma forma geral, as variáveis consideradas explicaram bem a variação nos dados das comunidades herbáceas. As comunidades herbáceas de florestas primárias e secundárias são diferentes em resposta ao ambiente biótico e abiótico peculiar de cada habitat florestal. A interação entre espécies herbáceas e o componente lenhoso regenerativo parece aumentar na floresta secundária, reforçando a ideia de que as relações entre esses grupos de plantas são intensificadas em ambientes perturbados. / Terrestrial herbs play a fundamental role in biotic interactions occurring inside forests. The study of the ecological relationships involving this plant group is essential for the understanding of the dynamics of tropical forests, especially in complex and disturbed environments, as the Brazilian Atlantic forest. The objective of this study was to evaluate how herb communities are related to environmental characteristics of old-growth and secondary tropical Atlantic Forest in southern Brazil. We collected data on composition and structure (cover, richness and average height) of herbaceous communities in 16 plots with 36 m² in each forest habitat. We used a permutation multivariate analysis of variance (PerMANOVA) to evaluate the variation in composition of herb communities in old-growth and secondary forest and performed a path analysis to test direct and indirect effects of tree component structure, canopy openness, soil fertility and understory woody component on herb community structure. PerMANOVA results showed that composition of herb communities were different between old-growth and secondary forest; the environment variables canopy openness, organic matter, and pH significantly explained a proportion of the variability of the composition of herb communities. Path analysis indicated that in old-growth forest the herb community structure was affected direct and positively by soil fertility and indirect and negatively by the structure of tree component structure as above mediated by its influence on understory woody component. In secondary forest the herb community structure was affected directly and positively by light availability and negatively by the understory woody component. In general, the analysed variables explained well the variation in the herbaceous community data. Herb communities in old-growth and secondary forests respond differently to biotic and abiotic variables. Interactions between woody regeneration and herbaceous communities seem to increase in secondary forest, reinforcing the idea that relations between these plant groups are intensified in disturbed environments.

Avaliou-se a dinâmica do componente arbóreo de uma área de Floresta Ombrófila Mista na região sudeste do Brasil, com o objetivo de verificar seu estádio sucessional e sua aderência aos modelos dinâmicos propostos para esta formação. O primeiro, modelo lozenge, ou de substituição temporal de área, propõe que a dinâmica é influenciada por padrão de recrutamento intermitente dependente de distúrbios severos, para as pioneiras longevas, geralmente gimnospermas, que dominam estruturalmente a floresta. O segundo propõe que a presença da Araucaria angustifolia é indicativa de sucessão em curso, pois esta espécie não se regenera no interior da floresta, sendo substituída por espécies latifoliadas. Um terceiro propõe recrutamento dependente de abertura de clareiras para as pioneiras longevas. Esta avaliação foi feita em três etapas: através da dinâmica da estrutura fitossociológica observou-se se ocorreram alterações na ordem de importância das espécies; com a análise demográfica buscou-se caracterizar a estrutura de tamanho das populações arbóreas e através da análise da dinâmica espacial da floresta verificou-se se a formação de clareiras permitiu recrutamento das pioneiras longevas. Os resultados mostraram uma estrutura fitossociológica sem alteração na ordem de importância das espécies, embora tenha sido observado aumento da representação de espécies umbrófilas na submata e redução das espécies de áreas mais abertas. A análise demográfica mostrou que as gimnospermas mostram estrutura de coortes, de acordo com o que é esperado para pioneiras longevas, e que no período observado não recrutaram indicando declínio para suas populações. As espécies do dossel mostraram populações em desenvolvimento e na submata foi observada dinâmica mais intensa, com aumento populacional para espécies umbrófilas. A dinâmica espacial mostrou que várias espécies independem das clareiras para recrutamento e crescimento, mas o recrutamento, a mortalidade e o enriquecimento da floresta estão correlacionados com este processo. Não foi observado recrutamento das pioneiras longevas nas clareiras presentes na área de estudo. Estes resultados indicam que a floresta está em desenvolvimento, e que sua dinâmica é influenciada pela dinâmica das pioneiras longevas. Houve indicação de aderência aos dois primeiros modelos, e na ausência de distúrbios maiores, pode-se esperar que as pioneiras longevas sejam substituídas. / The dynamics of the tree component of a Mixed Ombrophylous Forest in the Southeast Brazil was evaluated to verify its successional stage and its agreement with dynamic models proposed for this formation. The first one, Lozenge model, or temporal plot replacement, proposes that the dynamics of long-lived pioneers, often gymnosperms, which structurally dominates the forest, is influenced by intermittent recruitment pattern, dependent of severe disturbances. The second proposes that the presence of Araucaria angustifolia is indicative of ongoing succession and that the A. angustifolia fate is to be substituted by broadleaf species. A third one proposes gap dependent recruitment for the long-lived pioneers. The evaluation was conducted in three phases: through the analysis of the dynamics of the phytosociological structure it was observed if changes occurred in the order of importance of the species, with a demographic analysis to characterize the size structure of the tree populations and through the analysis of the spatial dynamics of the forest it was investigated if gap formation fostered the recruitment of long-lived pioneers. The results showed a phytosociological structure with no change in the order of importance of the species, although it was observed an increase in the representation of umbrophyllous species in the understory and the reduction of sun tolerant species. The demographic analysis showed that the gymnosperms present a cohort structure in accordance with what is expected for long-lived pioneers and that during the observed time span they did not recruit, indicating a decline in their population. The canopy species presented populations in development and, in the uderstorey, a more intense dynamic was observed with population increases for the umbrophyllous species. The spatial analysis showed that many species are independent of gaps for recruitment and development but the forest recruitment, mortality and species enrichment are correlated with this process. It was not observed the recruitment of long-lived pioneers in the gaps presented in the study area. These results indicate that the forest is under development and that its dynamics is influenced by the dynamics of the long-lived pioneers. There was indication of adherence to the first two models and that, in the absence of major disturbances, it can be expected that the long-lived pioneers will be replaced.

As espécies herbáceas terrícolas têm papel fundamental nas interações bióticas que ocorrem no interior de florestas. Entender as relações ecológicas que envolvem este grupo de plantas é essencial para a compreensão da dinâmica de florestas tropicais, sobretudo em ambientes perturbados e complexos, como a floresta tropical atlântica brasileira. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar como as comunidades herbáceas terrícolas se relacionam com as características ambientais de floresta tropical atlântica primária e secundária, no sul do Brasil. Nós coletamos dados sobre composição e estrutura (riqueza, cobertura e altura média) de comunidades herbáceas em 16 parcelas de 36m² em cada habitat florestal. Nós analisamos a variação da composição herbácea nos dois habitats através de Análise de Variância Multivariada por Permutação (PerManova) e executamos uma análise de caminhos, utilizando a abordagem PLS-PM (Partial Least Square Path modeling), para testar efeitos diretos e indiretos da estrutura do componete arbóreo, fertilidade do solo, luminosidade e do componente lenhoso regenerativo na estrutura das comunidades herbáceas. Os resultados da PerManova mostraram que as comunidades herbáceas foram diferentes entre floresta primária e floresta secundária; as variáveis ambientais que significamente contribuiram para essa variação foram a abertura da copa, o pH e o teor de matéria orgânica. A análise de caminhos mostrou que na floresta primária a estrutura da comunidade herbácea foi afetada direta e positivamente pela fertilidade do solo e indireta e negativamente pela estrutura do componente arbóreo através de sua influência direta no componente lenhoso regenerativo; na floresta secundária a estrutura da comunidade herbácea foi afetada diretamente, tanto positivamente pela disponibilidade de luz, quanto negativamente pelo componente lenhoso regenerativo. De uma forma geral, as variáveis consideradas explicaram bem a variação nos dados das comunidades herbáceas. As comunidades herbáceas de florestas primárias e secundárias são diferentes em resposta ao ambiente biótico e abiótico peculiar de cada habitat florestal. A interação entre espécies herbáceas e o componente lenhoso regenerativo parece aumentar na floresta secundária, reforçando a ideia de que as relações entre esses grupos de plantas são intensificadas em ambientes perturbados. / Terrestrial herbs play a fundamental role in biotic interactions occurring inside forests. The study of the ecological relationships involving this plant group is essential for the understanding of the dynamics of tropical forests, especially in complex and disturbed environments, as the Brazilian Atlantic forest. The objective of this study was to evaluate how herb communities are related to environmental characteristics of old-growth and secondary tropical Atlantic Forest in southern Brazil. We collected data on composition and structure (cover, richness and average height) of herbaceous communities in 16 plots with 36 m² in each forest habitat. We used a permutation multivariate analysis of variance (PerMANOVA) to evaluate the variation in composition of herb communities in old-growth and secondary forest and performed a path analysis to test direct and indirect effects of tree component structure, canopy openness, soil fertility and understory woody component on herb community structure. PerMANOVA results showed that composition of herb communities were different between old-growth and secondary forest; the environment variables canopy openness, organic matter, and pH significantly explained a proportion of the variability of the composition of herb communities. Path analysis indicated that in old-growth forest the herb community structure was affected direct and positively by soil fertility and indirect and negatively by the structure of tree component structure as above mediated by its influence on understory woody component. In secondary forest the herb community structure was affected directly and positively by light availability and negatively by the understory woody component. In general, the analysed variables explained well the variation in the herbaceous community data. Herb communities in old-growth and secondary forests respond differently to biotic and abiotic variables. Interactions between woody regeneration and herbaceous communities seem to increase in secondary forest, reinforcing the idea that relations between these plant groups are intensified in disturbed environments.

M.Sc. / This study examined the disturbance and recovery patterns and processes of a subtropical dry forest in Southern Maputaland, South Africa in an attempt to determine how the forest areas interact with non-forest areas in the presence of human-induced disturbances. The KwaNibela Peninsula is an outcrop of land at the northern reaches of Lake St Lucia with patches of forest interspersed in a woodland matrix. The peninsula is inhabited by the local KwaNibela community who utilise the forest resources for a variety of purposes and the question is: how do the vegetation communities and species respond to these disturbances? The forest has increased in extent over the last 71 years; however the degree of forest patch fragmentation has also increased as a result of clearcutting areas of forest for homesteads, kraals, cropland and infrastructure. The floristic and structural changes from areas of core forest to the open woodland show that forest regeneration is taking place, particularly within the young, re-growth stages and certain shade-intolerant species only occur within the forest as mature individuals, with no recruitment under the forest canopy. The presence of open areas/gaps in and around the forest allows the recruitment of shade-intolerant species and this drives forest succession in a woodland environment. The resource use by the local community contributes toward the relatively high levels of regeneration and the forest in KwaNibela can be described as a young and dynamic KwaZulu-Natal Coastal Forest with affinities to related forest types. The vernacular names and uses of 82 plant species and eight animal species were recorded and compared to previously-recorded Zulu knowledge, as well as uses recorded elsewhere in Africa. A considerable number of species were found to have uses and vernacular names that are new to our current recorded knowledge and this study, therefore, reveals that the ethnobotanical knowledge of the Zulu ethnic group in Maputaland is incompletely recorded. A framework for sustainable resource use management was provided, based on the information collated during this study and it was ascertained that managerial efforts should focus on encouraging responsible resource use practices and promoting income and resource alternatives in the attempt to relieve pressure on forest resources while ensuring the long-term sustainability of forest-based livelihoods in this area.

A pollen profile from varved lake sediments sampled at 10-year intervals and spanning the past 1000 years is analyzed to understand the effects of climate change and anthropogenic activity on forests in southwestern Quebec. The forests responded rapidly to changes in temperature and precipitation during the Medieval Warm Period and Little Ice Age as well as to land-use changes associated with the European Settlement of the area. The transition into the Little Ice Age was abrupt and had significant impact on the pollen production within a couple of decades. A synthesis of this record with other high-resolution and well-dated pollen data from the conifer-hardwood forest of eastern North America shows consistent results across the whole area, indicating that very-high resolution pollen data can provide insight into multi-decadal climate variability and its impact on forest vegetation. Tree-ring records from the region show inter-annual fluctuations not always consistent between sites, while high-resolution pollen data record multi-decadal to century changes which enable us to interpret climatic effects on plant communities.

For the high-elevation Engelmann spruce - subalpine fir (ESSF) biogeoclimatic zone of southwestern British Columbia, there is little empirical data on the long-term dynamics of subalpine spruce-fir stands. A lack of a long-term perspective on the growth and development of stands in the ESSF zone hinders both ecological research and silvicultural planning in the ESSF forest. A broadly-focussed pilot study on long-term Engelmann spruce-subalpine fir stand dynamics in the ESSF zone was designed to begin to address this deficiency. This study used two methodological approaches to gain insights into long-term stand dynamics: 1) a retrospective approach to examine historical patterns of: i) postfire conifer regeneration, ii) post-establishment stand structure development, and; iii) basal area production and accumulation in ESSF spruce-fir forests, and; 2) A chronosequence approach to examine overall stand basal area development over a 575-year chronosequence, which is not amenable to detailed retrospective examination. In order to reconstruct the patterns of postfire regeneration and subsequent stand development, measurements of tree age, diameter, radial increment, and height were collected in 8 mesic, 45- to 110-year-old fire-origin stands of Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry. ex Engel.) and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) in the ESSFwm and ESSFdc2 biogeoclimatic subzones of the North Cascades mountains. The results of the stand reconstruction were also used to aid in the interpretation of the chronosequence, which was based on basal area and age data from both the retrospective study sites, and the published literature. Based on the graphical analysis and discussion of the data collected in this pilot study, the following features of long-term stand development were noted in subalpine Engelmann spruce-subalpine fir stands: 1) Postfire conifer re-establishment on these burned ESSF sites was slow and erratic; the re-establishment period was 30 to 50 or more years in duration; 2) There appeared to be no consistent or predictable postfire patterns of conifer establishment on the various sites, either over time, or on a site-to site basis; 3) During postfire regeneration and immature stand development, there appeared to be no consistent differences between Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir, either in terms of i) postfire regeneration establishment, or ii) height development; 4) Fire-origin spruce-fir stands in the ESSF zone rapidly develop a complex stand structure, possibly due to the gradual and prolonged patterns of regeneration ingress on these sites; 5) Trees which have initial advantages in height or other competitive advantages over other trees on the site during the establishment phase tend to retain dominant crown positions in the stand at much later stages of development; 6) The relationship of periodic basal area increment (b.a.i.) to initial basal area stocking in immature spruce-fir stands suggests that stand increment is optimized above a critical stand density; 7) The initial basal area level necessary to optimize b.a.i. appears to increase with stand age; and 8) Apparent trends from a 575-year chronosequence of Engelmann spruce-subalpine fir stand development suggests that stand basal area tends to peak, on average, between the ages of 70 and 150 years of age. Subsequently, basal area tends to gradually decline and eventually stabilize between the ages of 300 to 400 years of age. Based on these results, preliminary recommendations were proposed for the long-term silvicultural management of ESSF spruce-fir forest types. Also, the research priorities necessary for building on the results of this pilot study were identified. / Forestry, Faculty of / Graduate

Tropical forests are major components of Earth’s carbon stocks, but their diversity and structural complexity pose major challenges for making accurate estimates of their above ground biomass (AGB). Palms, in particular, are prominent and unique components of many tropical forests that have anatomical and physiological differences from dicot trees which affect their height - diameter allometry and consequently, our ability to accurately estimate their AGB. We focused on improving height estimates and AGB models for a highly abundant palm, Prestoea montana, in the Luquillo Forest Dynamics Plot, Puerto Rico. We measured stem height (Hstem), diameter at breast height (DBH) and basal diameter (DB) for 1215 individual palms. Although palms do not develop secondary xylem, we found a strong relationship both between Hstem:DBH and Hstem:DB for P. montana which indicates that its mechanical H:D scaling exhibits similar mechanical constraints of dicotyledonous trees. Additionally, we provide evidence that P. montana’s H:D allometry is mediated by several sources of environmental heterogeneity including slope, elevation, and neighborhood crowding (as a proxy for local competition). We applied our H:D allometric model to hindcast AGB dynamics in the Luquillo Forest Dynamics Plot. Finally, we demonstrated that neighborhood crowding has a negative effect on P. montana’s growth. Our study enables improved  estimates in Puerto Rico and provides novel insight to the growth dynamics of palms in tropical forests.