Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Gap-scale disturbance processes in secondary hardwood stands on the Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee, USA

  • Chapter
Forest Ecology

  • 2592 Accesses

Abstract

Disturbance regimes in many temperate, old growth forests are characterized by gap-scale events. However, prior to a complex stage of development, canopy gaps may still serve as mechanisms for canopy tree replacement and stand structural changes associated with older forests. We investigated 40 canopy gaps in secondary hardwood stands on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee to analyze gap-scale disturbance processes in developing forests. Gap origin, age, land fraction, size, shape, orientation, and gap maker characteristics were documented to investigate gap formation mechanisms and physical gap attributes. We also quantified density and diversity within gaps, gap closure, and gap-phase replacement to examine the influence of localized disturbances on forest development. The majority of canopy gaps were single-treefall events caused by uprooted or snapped stems. The fraction of the forest in canopy gaps was within the range reported from old growth remnants throughout the region. However, gap size was smaller in the developing stands, indicating that secondary forests contain a higher density of smaller gaps. The majority of canopy gaps were projected to close by lateral crown expansion rather than height growth of subcanopy individuals. However, canopy gaps still provided a means for understory trees to recruit to larger size classes. This process may allow overtopped trees to reach intermediate positions, and eventually the canopy, after future disturbance events. Over half of the trees located in true gaps with intermediate crown classifications were Acer saccharum, A. rubrum, or Liriodendron tulipifera. Because the gaps were relatively small and close by lateral branch growth of perimeter trees, the most shade-tolerant A. saccharum has the greatest probability of becoming dominant in the canopy under the current disturbance regime. Half of the gap maker trees removed from the canopy were Quercus; however, Acer species are the most probable replacement trees. These data indicate that canopy gaps are important drivers of forest change prior to a complex stage of development. Even in relatively young forests, gaps provide the mechanisms for stands to develop a complex structure, and may be used to explain patterns of shifting species composition in secondary forests of eastern North America.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Barden LS (1979) Tree replacement in small canopy gaps of a Tsuga canadensis forest in the southern Appalachians, Tennessee. Oecologia 44:141–142. doi:10.1007/BF00346412

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barden LS (1980) Tree replacement in a cove hardwood forest of the southern Appalachians. Oikos 35:16–19. doi:10.2307/3544722

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barden LS (1981) Forest development in canopy gaps of a diverse hardwood forest of the southern Appalachian Mountains. Oikos 37:205–209. doi:10.2307/3544466

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beckage B, Clark JS, Clinton BD et al (2000) A long-term study of tree seedling recruitment in southern Appalachian forests: the effects of canopy gaps and shrub understories. Can J For Res 30:1617–1631. doi:10.1139/cjfr-30-10-1617

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Braun EL (1950) Eastern deciduous forests of North America. Blakiston, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  • Buckner E, McCracken W (1978) Yellow-poplar: a component of climax forests? J For 76:421–423

    Google Scholar 

  • Busing RT (1994) Canopy cover and tree regeneration in old-growth cove forests of the Appalachian Mountains. Vegetatio 115:19–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Busing RT (1995) Disturbance and the population dynamics of Liriodendron tulipifera: simulations with a spatial model of forest succession. J Ecol 83:45–53. doi:10.2307/2261149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Canham CD (1988) Growth and canopy architecture of shade-tolerant trees: response to canopy gaps. Ecology 69:786–795. doi:10.2307/1941027

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cho D, Boerner REJ (1991) Canopy disturbance patterns and regeneration of Quercus species in two old-growth forests. Vegetatio 93:9–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Clebsch EEC, Busing RT (1989) Secondary succession, gap dynamics, and community structure in a southern Appalachian cove forest. Ecology 70:728–735. doi:10.2307/1940223

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clinton BD, Boring LR, Swank WT (1993) Canopy gap characteristics and drought influence in oak forests of the Coweeta Basin. Ecology 74:1551–1558. doi:10.2307/1940082

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clinton BD, Boring LR, Swank WT (1994) Regeneration patterns in canopy gaps of mixed-oak forests of the southern Appalachians: influence of topographic position and evergreen understory. Am Midl Nat 132:308–319. doi:10.2307/2426587

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cole WG, Lorimer CG (2005) Probabilities of small-gap capture by sugar maple saplings based on height and crown growth data from felled trees. Can J For Res 35:643–655. doi:10.1139/x04-210

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cowell CM (1998) Historical change in vegetation and disturbance on the Georgia Piedmont. Am Midl Nat 140:78–89. doi:10.1674/0003-0031(1998)140[0078:HCIVAD]2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dahir SE, Lorimer CG (1996) Variation in canopy gap formation among developmental stages of northern hardwood stands. Can J For Res 26:1875–1892. doi:10.1139/x26-212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Vries PG (1974) Multi-stage line intersect sampling. For Sci 20:129–133

    Google Scholar 

  • Fenneman NM (1938) Physiography of Eastern United States. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferreira de Lima RA (2005) Gap size measurement: the proposal of a new field method. For Ecol Manag 214:413–419. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2005.04.011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Francis JK, Loftus JS (1977) Chemical and physical properties of the Cumberland Plateau and Highland Rim forest soils. USDA, Forest Service, Research Paper SO-138

    Google Scholar 

  • Franklin JF, Shugart HH, Harmon ME (1987) Tree death as an ecosystem process. Bioscience 37:550–556. doi:10.2307/1310665

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fritts HC (2001) Tree rings and climate. Blackburn Press, Caldwell, New Jersey

    Google Scholar 

  • Goebel PC, Hix DM (1996) Development of mixed-oak forests in southeastern Ohio: a comparison of second and old-growth forests. For Ecol Manag 84:1–21. doi:10.1016/0378-1127(96)03772-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goebel PC, Hix DM (1997) Changes in the composition and structure of mixed-oak, second-growth forest ecosystems during the understory reinitiation stage of stand development. Ecoscience 4:327–339

    Google Scholar 

  • Grissino-Mayer HD (2001) Evaluating crossdating accuracy: a manual and tutorial for the computer program COFECHA. Tree Ring Res 57:205–221

    Google Scholar 

  • Hart JL (2007) A multi-scale analysis of disturbance dynamics in hardwood forest communities on the Cumberland Plateau, USA. Dissertation, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

    Google Scholar 

  • Hart JL, Grissino-Mayer HD (2008) Vegetation patterns and dendroecology of a mixed hardwood forest on the Cumberland Plateau: implications for stand development. For Ecol Manag 255:1960–1975

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Henry JD, Swan JMA (1974) Reconstructing forest history from live and dead plant material—an approach to the study of forest succession in southwest New Hampshire. Ecology 55:772–783. doi:10.2307/1934413

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hibbs DE (1982) Gap dynamics in a hemlock-hardwood forest. Can J For Res 12:522–527. doi:10.1139/x82-081

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hinkle CR (1978) The relationship of forest communities and selected species to edaphic and topographic factors on the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee. Dissertation, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

    Google Scholar 

  • Hinkle CR (1989) Forest communities of the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee. J Tenn Acad Sci 64:123–129

    Google Scholar 

  • Hinkle CR, McComb WC, Safely JM Jr, Schmalzer PA (1993) Mixed mesophytic forests. In: Martin WH, Boyce SG, Echternacht AC (eds) Biodiversity of the Southeastern United States: upland terrestrial communities. Wiley, New York, pp 203–253

    Google Scholar 

  • Holmes RL (1983) Computer assisted quality control in tree-ring dating and measurement. Tree Ring Bull 43:69–78

    Google Scholar 

  • Jans L, Porter L, van Rompaey RSAR et al (1993) Gaps and forest zones in tropical moist forest in Ivory Coast. Biotropica 25:258–269. doi:10.2307/2388784

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kozlowski TT (1957) Effect of continuous high light intensity on photosynthesis of forest tree seedlings. For Sci 3:220–224

    Google Scholar 

  • Kozlowski TT, Pallardy SG (1997) Physiology of woody plants, 2nd edn. Academic Press, San Diego

    Google Scholar 

  • Krasny ME, Whitmore MC (1992) Gradual and sudden forest canopy gaps in Allegheny northern hardwood forests. Can J For Res 22:139–143. doi:10.1139/x92-019

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lafon CW (2004) Stand dynamics of a yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) forest in the Appalachian Mountains, Virginia, USA. Dendrochronologia 22:43–52. doi:10.1016/j.dendro.2004.09.002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lorimer CG (1980) Age structure and disturbance history of a southern Appalachian virgin forest. Ecology 61:1169–1184. doi:10.2307/1936836

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCarthy BC, Bailey DR (1994) Distribution and abundance of coarse woody debris in a managed forest landscape. Can J For Res 24:1317–1329

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McClure JW, Lee TD, Leak WB (2000) Gap capture in northern hardwoods: patterns of establishment and height growth in four species. For Ecol Manag 127:181–189. doi:10.1016/S0378-1127(99)00129-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Naidu SL, DeLucia EH (1997) Acclimation of shade-developed leaves on saplings exposed to late-season canopy gaps. Tree Physiol 17:367–376

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Oliver CD, Larson BC (1996) Forest stand dynamics, update edition. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Orvis KH, Grissino-Mayer HD (2002) Standardizing the reporting of abrasive papers used to surface tree-ring samples. Tree Ring Res 58:47–50

    Google Scholar 

  • Orwig DA, Abrams MD (1994) Contrasting radial growth and canopy recruitment patterns in Liriodendron tulipifera and Nyssa sylvatica: a gap-obligate versus gap-facultative tree species. Can J For Res 24:2141–2149. doi:10.1139/x94-276

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pickford SG, Hazard JW (1978) Simulation studies on line intersect sampling of forest residue. For Sci 24:469–483

    Google Scholar 

  • Poulson TL, Platt WJ (1989) Gap light regimes influence canopy tree diversity. Ecology 70:553–555. doi:10.2307/1940202

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rebertus AJ, Meier AJ (2001) Blowdown dynamics in oak-hickory forests of the Missouri Ozarks. J Torrey Bot Soc 128:362–369. doi:10.2307/3088668

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Romme WH, Martin WH (1982) Natural disturbance by tree-falls in old-growth mixed mesophytic forest: Lilley Cornett Woods, Kentucky. In: Muller RN (ed) In: Proceedings of the central hardwood forest conference. University of Kentucky, Lexington, pp 367–383

    Google Scholar 

  • Runkle JR (1981) Gap regeneration in some old-growth forests of the eastern United States. Ecology 62:1041–1051. doi:10.2307/1937003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Runkle JR (1982) Patterns of disturbance in some old-growth mesic forests of the eastern United States. Ecology 63:1533–1546. doi:10.2307/1938878

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Runkle JR (1985) Comparison of methods for determining fraction of land area in treefall gaps. For Sci 31:15–19

    Google Scholar 

  • Runkle JR (1989) Synchrony of regeneration, gaps, and latitudinal differences in tree species diversity. Ecology 70:546–547. doi:10.2307/1940199

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Runkle JR (1990) Gap dynamics in an Ohio Acer-Fagus forest and speculations on the geography of disturbance. Can J For Res 20:632–641. doi:10.1139/x90-085

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Runkle JR (1992) Guidelines and sample protocol for sampling forest gaps. USDA, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, GTR 283, Portland

    Google Scholar 

  • Runkle JR (1998) Changes in southern Appalachian canopy tree gaps sampled thrice. Ecology 79:1768–1780

    Google Scholar 

  • Runkle JR (2000) Canopy tree turnover in old-growth mesic forests of eastern North America. Ecology 81:554–576

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Runkle JR, Yetter TC (1987) Treefalls revisited: gap dynamics in the southern Appalachians. Ecology 68:417–424. doi:10.2307/1939273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smalley GW (1982) Classification and evaluation of forest sites on the mid-Cumberland Plateau. USDA, Forest Service, Southern Research Experiment Station, GTR SO-38, New Orleans, Louisiana

    Google Scholar 

  • Smalley GW (1986) Classification and evaluation of forest sites on the northern Cumberland Plateau. USDA, Forest Service, Southern Research Experiment Station, GTR SO-60, New Orleans, Louisiana

    Google Scholar 

  • Spies TA, Franklin JF, Klopsch M (1990) Canopy gaps in Douglas-fir forests of the Cascade Mountains. Can J For Res 20:649–658. doi:10.1139/x90-087

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stokes MA, Smiley TL (1996) An introduction to tree-ring dating. University of Arizona Press, Tucson

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor SO, Lorimer CG (2003) Loss of oak dominance in dry-mesic deciduous forests predicted by gap capture methods. Plant Ecol 167:71–88. doi:10.1023/A:1023975026261

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thornthwaite CW (1948) An approach toward rational classification of climate. Geogr Rev 38:55–94. doi:10.2307/210739

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tryon EH, Lanasa M, Townsend EC (1992) Radial growth response of understory sugar maple (Acer saccharum) surrounding openings. For Ecol Manag 55:249–257. doi:10.1016/0378-1127(92)90104-H

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tyrell LE, Crow TR (1994) Structural characteristics of old-growth hemlock-hardwood forests in relation to age. Ecology 75:370–386. doi:10.2307/1939541

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • USDA (1995) Soil survey of Fentress and Pickett Counties. USDA, Soil Conservation Service, Tennessee

    Google Scholar 

  • Veblen TT (1985) Forest development in tree-fall gaps in the temperate rain forest of Chile. Natl Geogr Res 1:162–183

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallace LL, Dunn EL (1980) Comparative photosynthesis of three gap phase successional tree species. Oecologia 45:331–340. doi:10.1007/BF00540201

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Webster CR, Lorimer CG (2005) Minimum opening sizes for canopy recruitment of midtolerant tree species: a retrospective approach. Ecol Appl 15:1245–1262. doi:10.1890/04-0763

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • White PS, MacKenzie MD, Busing RT (1985) Natural disturbance and gap-phase dynamics in southern Appalachian spruce-fir forests. Can J For Res 15:233–240. doi:10.1139/x85-041

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilder CM, Holtzclaw FW Jr, Clebsch EEC (1999) Succession, sapling density and growth in canopy gaps along a topographic gradient in a second growth east Tennessee forest. Am Midl Nat 142:201–212. doi:10.1674/0003-0031(1999)142[0201:SSDAGI]2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yamamoto S, Nishimura N (1999) Canopy gap formation and replacement pattern of major tree species among development stages of beech (Fagus crenata) stands, Japan. Plant Ecol 140:167–176. doi:10.1023/A:1009713002039

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yetter TC, Runkle JR (1986) Height growth rates of canopy gap tree species in southern Appalachian gaps. Castanea 51:157–167

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of North Alabama, 35632, Florence, AL, USA

    Justin L. Hart

  2. Department of Geography, The University of Tennessee, 37996, Knoxville, TN, USA

    Henri D. Grissino-Mayer

Authors
  1. Justin L. Hart
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Henri D. Grissino-Mayer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Justin L. Hart .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, 141 Bessey Hall, 50011-1020, Ames, IA, USA

    A. G. Van der Valk

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2008 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Hart, J.L., Grissino-Mayer, H.D. (2008). Gap-scale disturbance processes in secondary hardwood stands on the Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee, USA. In: Van der Valk, A.G. (eds) Forest Ecology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2795-5_11

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation