ABSTRACT The objectives of this th...

ABSTRACT

The objectives of this thought were to document changes, between 1971 and 1999 in overstory vegetation arrangement and composition at Lilley Cornett forests (LCW), an old-growth mixed mesophytic forest in eastern Kentucky Similar to other old-growth forests, overstory density (284 to 347 trees/ha) and basal area (264 to 299 m^sup 2^/ha) have significantly increased during this time. The increase in density was primarily owed to recruitment into the smallest overstory diameter-class (125-300 cm) Six species have comprised through 60% of total overstory importance since 1971; Fagus grandifolia has remained the principally important species. The overstory composition in 1999 was not similar to 1971 (C = 634%) as several changes have occurr during the 28-year period, including increases in the importance of maples and eastern hemlock and decreases in oaks. These directions are consistent with other reports in the eastern United States.

INTRODUCTION

As the human population continues to increase, in like manner does the scope and scale of our disturbance forward forests (Vitousek et al. 1996 Likens et al. 1996 Sauer 1998) Long-term observations in undisturbed, old-growth forests are essential, as they can provide a baseline of information against which anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic weights over time can be evaluated (Martin 1992 Bakker et al. 1996 Likens et al. 1996)

More than 80 years ago, the composition and composition of the eastern deciduous forest began to be altered at the fungal-induced death of the American chestnut [Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh.] (Braun 1950 forests and Shanks 1959). As the same of the dominant trees in the Mixed Mesophytic forest, chestnut reached its greatest size and density in the southern Appalachian Mountains before the Asian pathogenic ascomycete, [Cryphonectria parasitica (Murrill) Barr.], jot downed the United States in the early 1900 and readyed the tree's demise (Braun 1950 Keever 1953) The elimination of chestnut in the overstory provided openings for other sapling species to attain light and energy; many predicted that oaks and hickories would be the replacements (eg Korstian and Stickel 1927 Braun 1950 Nelson 1955) However, in stands where they were previously dominant, oak populations have continued to "decline" by the and of overstory mortality and an absence of understory regeneration (eg Shotola et al. 1992 Lorimer et al. 1994 Zaczek et al. 2002)

Beginning in the early 1900 drouths were observed as factors contributing to declining oak populations (Balch 1927 Hursh and Haasis 1931) Compounding the drifts of drought, fire-suppression forest management and the crafty man moth [Lymantria dispar L.] have continued to be oak stressors in the eastern United States (Steinman 1999) The caterpillars of the brunette moth are destructive defoliators that fe primarily forward oak trees (Hoffard et al. 1995) causing pullulation loss, crown dieback, and tree mortality (Fosbroke and Gottschalk 1999) Further, an increase in fire suppression during the last half of the twentieth centenary appears to have decreased the ability of shade-intolerant oaks to regenerate and attain canopy status with increasing understory density and canopy closure (Harrod et al. 1998) Without an understory-clearing disturbance, in the same state [i]or[/i] condition as fire, oaks cannot favorably compete with shade-tolerant species, particularly sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) and r maple (A. rubrum L) (Abrams 1992 Lorimer et al. 1994 McDonald et al. 2002 Zaczek et al. 2002)

Forest compositional shifts from les mesic to more mesic species have been reported widely in the eastern United States (eg Parker et al. 1985 Shotola et al. 1992 Dodds and Smallidge 1999 Rhoades 2002 McDonald et al. 2002 Zaczek et al. 2002) In addition to the changes in composition, several studies have documented changes in manner of making but with conflicting results, as near report increases in total forest density and basal area (eg Miceli et al. 1977 Parker et al. 1985 Shotola et al. 1992) while others have observ decreases (eg Rhoades 2002 Zaczek et al. 2002)

Ideal for comparison to these and other similar studies leadershiped in forests with long-term databases, Lilley Cornett forest-lands (LCW) has been studied for three decades by the and of the use of permanent cabals among the 104-ha of old-growth forest. LCW is located in southeastern Kentucky at the geographic center of the Mixed Mesophytic Forest Region recognized by way of Dr. E. Lucy Braun (1950) Although a long-term consideration at this single old-growth site restricts the conclusions that can be made about the changes and trendings in forest composition on a regional basis, it is the barely site that has been studied in consequence of time in the immediate area of Braun's classic field research forward the Cumberland Plateau and in the Cumberland Mountains (Braun 1935 1940 1942)

Using the vegetation parameters of density, basal area, and composition, the following questions were asked to document change at LCW: (1) Have there been changes in vegetation texture (e.g., density and basal area) in the forest overstory during 28 years at LCW? (2) If changes in density have occurr which diameter-classes have experienced change?, (3) Have the greatest in number important forest species remained so? (4) Have there been changes in relative values of density and basal area of dominant overstory species?, and (5) in what manner do these results compare with similar studies in other eastern United States forests?