Post-Grant Reports

Title

Twenty Years of Change in the Tree Community in Forest Park

Document Type

Report

Publication Date

3-10-2014

Disciplines

Forest Management

Abstract

In 1993, 24 permanent sites were randomly located in Forest Park with one additional site in the Ancient Forest Preserve. Three 250-meter square quadrats were randomly located at each site. All trees within each quadrat were identified to species and the dbh (diameter at breast height) of each tree was measured. Data were initially collected in 1993, and measurements were repeated in 2003 and in 2013 using the Faculty-Student Summer Collaborative Research grant. We found significantly fewer live trees and live seedlings and saplings (treesdbh) in each decade, although the rate of loss appears to be slowing. When examined by section of the park (city, middle, far, old growth), the far section had significantly more live trees and saplings than did the city section, but there were significantly fewer live trees in all sections of Forest Park in 2013 as compared to 1993. Our findings suggest important information about tree mortality and recruitment that can help management of the park.

Comments

This research was conducted as part of a Linfield College Student-Faculty Collaborative Research Grant in 2013, funded by the Office of Academic Affairs.

Student collaborators were Meghan Lockwood and Morgan Yarber.

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