dendrology final

Native plants

Natural elements of a regional landscape. Plants that have been here since before European settlement

non-native plants

- Introduced through human activity

- Many agricultural and ornamental plants

the rule of tens

1 in 10 non-native plants escape and become free living

1 in 10 of these naturalize and spread

1 in 10 of these become invasive

invasion is ...

a process

invasion stages

transport, establishment, spread, impact

characteristics of invasive plants

- competitive

- strong reproductive pressure

- tolerant and adaptive

- rapid response to disturbance

- release from natural enemies

- hybrid vigor

what percent of Alabama's invasive species are escaped ornamentals

50%

impacts of invasive plants

- Native biodiversity

very little can grow under dense infestation

reduced plant diversity

reduced insect, animal and soil, microorganism diversity

forest management that can promote invasives

harvesting, mechanical site prep, tree planting, release treatments, prescribed fire, internal road construction, food plots

why do those forest management types promote invasives

removal of natives, soil disturbance, release of nutrients, increased light to understory, off-site equipment, mechanical damage

key forest invaders in alabama

1. Japanese honeysuckle - 2,922,547 acres

2. Privet - 902,215 acres

3. Kudzu - 61,295 acres

4. Japanese climbing fern - 43,709 acres

5. cogon grass - 43,889

6. mimosa

7. tallow tree

8. nonnative roses

9. chinaberry

10. Asian wisterias

11. Princess tree

the two pine subgenera

pinus - yellow pines

strobus - white pines

Strobus "soft pines" aka. white pines

needles in fascicles of 1-5

one vascular bundle per leaf

early deciduous fascicle sheath

cone scales thin at apex and mostly not sharp

wood is soft

non-fire-prone environments

western white pine species

sugar pine, western white pine, limber pine, white bark pine

white pine easter species

eastern white pine

pinus "hard pines" aka. yellow pines

needles in fascicles 2-3 (rarely 5-8)

two vascular bundles per leaf

fascicle sheath: persistant

cone scales thick at apex and sharp

wood is hard

fire prone enviroments

southern pines are all

yellow pines

4 main southern yellow pines

longleaf, loblolly, shortleaf, slash

fire adapted traits in southern pines

resprouting, grass stage, self pruning, serotiny

what pine resprouts

shortleaf

What pine has a grass stage?

longleaf and slash

what pine self-prunes

longleaf, loblolly, shortleaf, spruce

what pine has serotiny

sand pine

longleaf ecosystems support what

a high diversity of species

what diversity is in a longleaf pine stand

150-300 species of plant per acre

around 122 endangered or threatened plants

more breeding birds than any other southeastern forest

60% of amphibian and reptile's species found in southeast

1500s to early 1700s reason for longleaf decline

land clearing, hogs and feral livestock

when was sawmills introduced

1714

1800s - 1900s reason for longleaf decline

steam powered sawmill and naval stores

1920s - 1950s longleaf decline

fire supression

1920 to present decline in longleaf

conversion of unmanaged woodlands into pine plantations

naval stores

products derived from oleoresin of pine trees

rosin, tall oil, pine oil, and turpentine

maintenance of wooden ships

Alabama has

extraordinary biodiversity

how much of Alabama is forested

more then 2/3; over 23 million acres

Five major forest types in Alabama

oak-hickory (7.1 million acres)

Oak-pine (2.9 million acres)

loblolly-shortleaf pine (9.1 million acres)

longleaf-slash pine (1.1 million acres)

oak-gum cypress (2.2 million acres)

why are there different forest types

- Climate

- Soils

- Topography/Physiography

- Biota

- Disturbance

All these result in different habitats

disturbance

major natural disturbances

long-term climatic alterations are overarching disturbances

disturbances are periodic

two main factors of disturbance

return interval

magnitude and severity

plants respond to disturbance based on

life history characteristics (silvics)

adaptations for germinating

growing

reproducing

disseminating seed

Liebig's Law of the Minimum

Growth is ultimately controlled not by the total resources available, but by the scarcest resource and/or other limiting factors. (Moisture, nutrients, light, fire)

Why do plants grow where they do

Plant distribution and abundance is a function of physiological response to environmental factors in the landscape

plant community

an assemblage of species that occurs repeatedly under similar environmental conditions across the landscape

habitat

combination of environmental conditions where a species can grow, compete and reproduce

A habitat is a function of...

climate, soils, topography, biota, and disturbance

climate

interaction between solar radiation, the atmosphere and the earth's land and water masses

Soils

texture, structure and depth

Topography

elevation, slope, aspect, land shape, and land-water interface

biota

sum of all living organisms inhabiting an area

what is the strongest determining factor of vegetation structure

climate

Soil properties influence

- soil moisture holding capacity

- nutrient availability

- rooting depth

- presence of microorganisms

Topography/physiography influences

- light intensity (length of growing season)

- temperature (length of growing season)

- soil type and depth

- moisture availability

biota results ______ and are a result ____ the habitat in which they are found

in, of

What are pioneer species?

colonize a site quickly after disturbance

pioneer species traits

wind-dispersed seeds

fast growing

light demanding

short-lived

climax species

can reproduce beneath themselves

maintain themselves on a site for a long time

with no disturbance dominate continuously

climax doesn't always equal old growth

Similar organisms tend to cluster together in ________ (forest stand types) because of similar resource requirements and similar adaptations to environmental conditions.

COMMUNITIES

Forest classification

System for describing and managing forest communities.

(relates vegetation to landscape and a tool to identify diversity)

What are the two forest classification

ecosystem and community

tree id classifications

population and organisms

Types of classification

-potential vegetation

-current vegetation

-ecosystem classification

Potential vegetation

anticipated future or potential vegetation (ex. habitat typing)

current vegetation

focuses on dominant species currently occupying the site

(ex. forest cover types)

Ecosystem classification

based on biotic and abiotic factors

challenges of forest classification

Classifications are abstract ... placing boundaries on what is essentially a continuum

Classifications are temporal snapshots ... but vegetation is in flux and forest ecosystems have long development periods.

U.S. National Vegetation Classification (USNVC)

Classification system developed to produce uniform statistics for vegetation resources

- Classification of the Current Vegetation

-Based on Diagnostic (dominant) taxa

Forest Regions of North America

- Northern conifer-hardwood forest

- northern hardwood- conifer forest

- central hardwood forest

- southeastern pine-hardwood

-Central and Southern Rocky Mountain Mixed Conifer Forest

-Southwestern Juniper-Pinyon Savanna

what is the largest terrestrial biome

Boreal forest

Picea - the spruces; boreal forest

needles - Sharp pointed, nearly square in cross section, relatively stiff; attached to twig on a small peg called a sterigma

cones - hang downward (pendant)

Crown shape - resembles inverted cone

uses: lumber, varnishes and medical, Christmas trees

Abies - the firs; boreal forest

Needles: flat, leave a disc-like scar (bull's eye), may be two ranked or arranged like a 'hairbrush'

Cones: immature cones are upright on the branches and disintegrate at maturity, leaving only the central stalk on the twig over winter

Crown shape: resembles an inverted cone

uses: lumber, oleoresins, Christmas trees

Larix (Larches and Tamaracks); boreal forest

Needles: deciduous, soft, slender, short and triangular to square in x-section; borne singly and alternately on current year's twigs or on short spur shoots

Cones: round to oblong, remain on twig for several growing seasons

Uses: pulp, lumber, ornamental

why conifers dominant so far north

ability to survive on sterile soils

evergreen

conservative nutrient cycling

drought tolerant

cold tolerant

Northern hardwood-conifer forest (NHCF)

Northern half of the Lake States and much of New England

Sugar maple (NHCF)

very shade tolerant

mesic forest

climax species

maple syrup

hardwood used for bowling alley floors, furniture, and cobinets

Red maple (NHCF)

one of most abundant and widespread in eastern US

Can thrive on wide range of soil types

pioneer to sub-climax species

sensitive to fire, but resprouts

desirable wildlife browse

Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis) (NHCF)

cool, moist sites

shade intolerant

largest and longest-lived birch

gap invader

drought sensitive

best hardwood of all birches

often has stilt roots - germinate on logs that decay (nurse logs)

Northern red oak (NHCF)

best grow on lower conclave slopes

tall straight and large crowns

must be present as advance reproduction to succeed

special uses (high-quality lumber, ornamental, acorns important to wildlife)

hybridizes with other red oak

American beech (NHCF)

found in all eastern deciduous forest on mesic sites

climax species, very shade tolerant

slow growing and long lived

beechnuts eaten by wildlife

Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) (NHCF)

most widely distributed tree in NA

pioneer species

very shade intolerant

wide range of sites

American Basswood (NHCF)

mesic, deep, loamy soils

shade tolerant, climax species

stump sprout common

Eastern hemlock (NHCF)

very shade tolerant climax species

cool and moist valleys

slow growing

drought sensitive

wildlife cover

ornamental

Hemlock wooly adelgid - aphid-like inect with wooly prtoective coating

Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) (NHCF)

largest NE conifer (80-100 ft)

can live over 500 years

mid successional, medium shade tolerance

used for reforestation in Ne

threatened by white pine rust and white pine weevil

Red Pine (Pinus resinosa) (NHCF)

One of most extensively planted pines in northern US and Canada

Commonly on dry sites; natural stands mostly on sandy soils

fire adapted

intermediate shade tolerance, but grows best in even-aged stands

Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana) (NHCF)

shade intolerant

fire and drought adapted

pioneer species - on poor sites may form edaphic climax community

serotinous cones

liked by Kirkland's warbler

edaphic climax

physical conditions (soil moisture, nutrients, topography, fire or other disturbances) prevent a typical climax community from developing, keeping an earlier successional community in place.

Central Hardwood Forest

interior lowlands and Appalachian Mountains

pronounced seasons

climate variable

Bur oak (CHF)

intermediate shade tolerance

one of most drought resistant oak in NA

pioneer species at edge of the praire

dry mesic areas

acorns important for wildlife

hybridizes with atleast nine more oak

Silver maple (CHF)

flood plain and bottomland sites (flood tolerant)

moderate to very shade intolerant

grows rapidly

wood is brittle and prone to breakage

Eastern redcedar (CHF)

intolerant to very intolerant to shade

pioneer species

drought resistant but suscetible to fire

high calcium in foliage

diversity in phenotypic characteristics

Shortleaf pine (CHF)

shade intolerant

only southern pine extends into missouri

topsoil erosion has reduced growth and distribution

littleleaf disease - problem on clay soils

American Chestnut (Castanea dentata) (CHF)

Once the dominant tree of the Appalachians through Pennsylvania and southern New England

trees seldom become mature before succumbing to the Chestnut blight

Eastern hemlock (CHF)

same as the other

Chestnut oak (CHF)

intermediate shade tolerance

very drained sites

slow growing

much of regeneration is sprout origin

Mountain laurel (CHF)

shrub to small tree, can form thickets

xeric and hydric soils

Southwest

large areas of desert

forest are scattered

elevation reach above tree line

Why are there large areas of desert

mountains stop clouds and water from reaching the other side causing one side to be desert

Western Forests

- Pine Juniper

- Rocky Mountain Conifer

Pine-Juniper Forests

low elevation

hot, semi-arid climate

grasses and shrubs dominate drier sites

tress on more mesic sites

trees generally short

Pinyon Pine (Pinus edulis) (PJF)

needles in 2

edible seed (pine nuts)

max 60 ft

forked and crroked

drought tolerant

shade intolerant

Ponderosa pine forest

common at mid elevations

drought and fire common

cycles cold and hot

important timber trees

black hills in south Dakota named for dark canopy of these

Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa) (PPF)

shade intolerant

reddish orange bark - smells like vanilla and/or butterscotch, plates look like puzzle pieces

rocky mountain pine beetle is a major pest

important timber species in western NA

most old growth has been cut

Gambel's Oak (Quercus gambelii) (PPF)

white oak

clumps

shrub or tree

low elevation