Several invasive woody plants grow in forest fragments at Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge in Seymour, Indiana. The objective of this study was to determine what woody species were growing in two upland forests and to assess the level of dominance that invasive species had in these areas. The variables of depth into the forest and directional aspect were also considered. Thirty-two belt transects were sampled and 54 woody species were found, including six invasive species: Ailanthus altissima (tree-ofheaven), Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry), Elaeagnus umbellata (autumn olive), Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle), Lonicera maackii (amur honeysuckle), and Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose). Importance values were calculated as an indicator of relative species dominance. Detrended Correspondence Analysis and Cluster analysis suggested that the invasive species were grouped on the forest edge transects; aspect was not found to be a determinant in where invasive species grew. Correlation coefficients demonstrated a significant difference between transect depth and the following variables at both forests: woody species density per transect, invasive species dominance, Elaeagnus umbellata density per hectare, and Lonicera japonica dominance. Rosa multiflora was one of the three most dominant understory species in both forests; on the edge transect, it was one of the top two. Soil temperatures were also measured at each transect, but no consistent trends were found within the data. In light of resources available, it is suggested that land managers focus on controlling Rosa multiflora and Ailanthus altissima. / Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/188228 |
| Date | January 2006 |
| Creators | Fribley, Laura A. |
| Contributors | Brown, Hugh J. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | xi, 103 leaves : ill. (some col.), maps (some col.) ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
| Coverage | n-us-in |
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