| dc.description |
Thinning of overstory timber will change forest function
and productivity of understory vegetation. Increased solar
exposure promotes understory growth, and disturbance
caused by thinning will create an opportunity for species
establishment. We set up a study to collect baseline data
on the understory community at the Metolius Preserve. Our
data was collected in thinned and un-thinned areas for
comparing to future collected data. We ran four, 100 ft
transects in both of the survey areas, collecting information
on sapling/seedling density and height, percent cover and
frequency of small vegetation, (grasses/forbs/sedges),
percent cover for shrubs, and amount of litter/duff in
centimeters. The litter/duff studies were done because
prescribed fires will be set in certain areas to be determined
at a later date. This data will possibly provide insight about
nutrient release, and intensity of fires with different amounts
of litter/duff. We found that there are many different plant
species at the Metolius Preserve, but we will not be able to
present results until repeat studies in following years are
conducted. |
|