In 1986, Hurricane Bonnie passed over Wier Woods, a well-developed
mesic forest in the Big Thicket Area of Texas, causing substantial tree
mortality and opening several canopy gaps. Mortality was high during the
hurricane interval, but did not vary significantly among species. Ingrowth
into the 4.5 cm DBH size class was accelerated by the hurricane. Tree
growth was largely unaffected by the hurricane; however, small individuals
of all species experienced slightly increased growth rates after the
hurricane. Mortality in the years after the storm did not decrease or
increase. Even though Bonnie caused approximately three times "normal"
mortality, there was only a slight decrease in basal area from 1985 to
1987. The low frequency of hurricanes and the modest effects of this
hurricane suggest that hurricanes may have limited effects on the structure
and dynamics of forests of the Big Thicket.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:RICE/oai:scholarship.rice.edu:1911/20476 |
| Date | January 1995 |
| Source Sets | Rice University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis, Text |
| Format | application/pdf |
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