Evaluating Adaptive Management Options for Black Ash Forests in the Face of Emerald Ash Borer Invasion

D’Amato, Anthony W.; Palik, Brian J.; Slesak, Robert A.; Edge, Greg; Matula, Colleen; Bronson, Dustin R.

doi:10.3390/f9060348

Cited by 40 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Potential evapotranspiration (PET) is approximately 600-650 mm per year (Sebestyen et al, 2011). Detailed site histories were unavailable for the 10 study wetlands, but silvicultural practices in black ash wetlands have been historically limited in extent (D'Amato et al, 2018). Based on the available information (e.g., Erdmann et al, 1987;Kurmis and Kim, 1989), we surmise that our sites are late successional or climax communities and have not been harvested for at least a century.…”

Section: Site Descriptionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…and speckled alder (Alnus incana L. Moench) in minor components, and greater abundances of American elm (Ulmus Americana L.) at lowland sites. Black ash stands are commonly highly uneven with respect to age (Erdmann et al, 1987), with canopy tree ages ranging from 130 to 232 years, and stand development under a gap-scale disturbance regime (D'Amato et al, 2018). Black ash are also typically slow-growing, achieving heights of only 10-15 m and diameters at breast height of only 25-30 cm after 100 years (Erdmann et al, 1987).…”

Section: Vegetationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hydrology appears to be a common driver in regular pattern formation in wetlands (Heffernan et al, 2013) and drylands (Scanlon et al, 2007). Thus, water stress -both too much (Eppinga et al, 2009) and too little (Deblauwe et al, 2008;Scanlon et al, 2007) -appears to be an important regulator of patch distribution across the landscape.…”

Section: Controls On Microtopographic Patterningmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Pattern and structure of microtopography implies autogenic origins in forested wetlands

Diamond¹,

McLaughlin²,

Slesak³

et al. 2019

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. Wetland microtopography is a visually striking feature, but also critically influences biogeochemical processes at both the scale of its observation (10−2–102 m2) and at aggregate scales (102–104 m2). However, relatively little is known about how wetland microtopography develops or the factors influencing its structure and pattern. Growing research across different ecosystems suggests that reinforcing processes may be common between plants and their environment, resulting in self-organized patch features, like hummocks. Here, we used landscape ecology metrics and diagnostics to evaluate the plausibility of plant–environment feedback mechanisms in the maintenance of wetland microtopography. We used terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) to quantify the sizing and spatial distribution of hummocks in 10 black ash (Fraxinus nigra Marshall) wetlands in northern Minnesota, USA. We observed clear elevation bimodality in our wettest sites, indicating microsite divergence into two states: elevated hummocks and low elevation hollows. We coupled the TLS dataset to a 3-year water level record and soil-depth measurements, and showed that hummock height (mean = 0.31±0.06 m) variability is largely predicted by mean water level depth (R2=0.8 at the site scale, R2=0.12–0.56 at the hummock scale), with little influence of subsurface microtopography on surface microtopography. Hummocks at wetter sites exhibited regular spatial patterning (i.e., regular spacing of ca. 1.5 m, 25 %–30 % further apart than expected by chance) in contrast to the more random spatial arrangements of hummocks at drier sites. Hummock size distributions (perimeters, areas, and volumes) were lognormal, with a characteristic patch area of approximately 1 m2 across sites. Hummocks increase the effective soil surface area for redox gradients and exchange interfaces in black ash wetlands by up to 32 %, and influence surface water dynamics through modulation of specific yield by up to 30 %. Taken together, the data support the hypothesis that vegetation develops and maintains hummocks in response to anaerobic stresses from saturated soils, with a potential for a microtopographic signature of life.

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Section: Site Descriptionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Vegetationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Controls On Microtopographic Patterningmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Pattern and structure of microtopography implies autogenic origins in forested wetlands

Diamond¹,

McLaughlin²,

Slesak³

et al. 2019

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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show abstract

“…In contrast to our findings at the site level, we did not find support for our prediction that basal area would correlate with tree base elevation within sites. However, this may not be surprising for three primary reasons: 1) black ash trees are extremely slow growing and there can be very little discernible variability in DBH across trees of different age classes (D'Amato et al 2018, Looney et al 2018, 2) hummock heights (and thus tree base elevation), while centered around some site mean, exhibit variation within a site, leading to a range of elevations supporting trees with similar DBH, and 3) tree base elevations were extremely difficult to ascertain using our TLS matching method, leading to high uncertainty in elevation measurements. Perhaps in wetter black ash systems, it is merely the fact that trees are alive (and on hummocks) that is important.…”

Section: Controls On Tree Biomassmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microtopography is a fundamental organizing structure in black ash wetlands

Diamond¹,

McLaughlin

Slesak

et al. 2019

Preprint

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<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> All wetland ecosystems are controlled by water table and soil saturation dynamics, so any local scale deviation in soil elevation represents variability in this primary control. Wetland microtopography is the structured variability in soil elevation, and is typically categorized into a binary classification of local high points (<q>hummocks</q>) and local low points (<q>hollows</q>). Although the influence of microtopography on vegetation composition and biogeochemical processes has received attention in wetlands around the globe, its role in forested wetlands is still poorly understood. We studied relationships among microtopography on understory vegetation communities, tree biomass, and soil chemistry in 10 black ash (Fraxinus nigra Marshall) wetlands in northern Minnesota, U.S.A. To do so, we combined a 1-cm resolution surface elevation model generated from terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) with co-located water table, vegetation, and soil measurements. We observed that microtopography was an important structural element across sites, where hummocks were loci of greater species richness, greater midstory and canopy basal area, and higher soil concentrations of chloride, phosphorus, and base cations. In contrast, hollows were associated with higher soil nitrate and sulfate concentrations. We also found that the effect of microtopography on vegetation and soils was greater at wetter sites than at drier sites, suggesting that distance to mean water table is a primary determinant of wetland biogeochemistry. These findings highlight clear controls of mictopography on vegetation and soil distributions, while also supporting the notion that microtopography arises from feedbacks that concentrate biomass, soil nutrients, and productivity on microsite highs, especially in otherwise wet conditions. We therefore conclude that microtopography is a fundamental organizing structure in black ash wetlands.</p>

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“…Annual precipitation is approximately two-thirds rain and one-third snowfall, and potential evapotranspiration is 600-650 mm yr −1 (Sebestyen et al, 2011). Black ash stands are commonly highly uneven-aged (Erdmann et al, 1987), with canopy tree ages ranging from 130 to 232 years, and stand development under a gap-scale disturbance regime (D'Amato et al, 2018). Black ash is also typically slow growing, achieving heights of only 10-15 m and diameters at breast height of only 25-30 cm after 100 years (Erdmann et al, 1987).…”

Section: Site Descriptionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microtopography is a fundamental organizing structure of vegetation and soil chemistry in black ash wetlands

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. All wetland ecosystems are controlled by water table and soil saturation dynamics, so any local-scale deviation in soil elevation and thus water table position represents variability in this primary control. Wetland microtopography is the structured variability in soil elevation and is typically categorized into a binary classification of local high points (hummocks) and local low points (hollows). Although the influence of microtopography on vegetation composition and biogeochemical processes in wetlands has received attention around the globe, its role in forested wetlands is still less understood. We studied relationships among microtopography and understory vegetation communities, tree biomass, and soil chemistry in 10 black ash (Fraxinus nigra Marshall) wetlands in northern Minnesota, USA. To do so, we combined a 1 cm resolution surface elevation model generated from terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) with colocated water table, vegetation, and soil measurements. We observed that microtopography was an important structural element across sites, where hummocks were loci of greater species richness; greater midstory and canopy basal area; and higher soil concentrations of chloride, phosphorus, and base cations. In contrast, hollows were associated with higher soil nitrate and sulfate concentrations. We also found that the effect of microtopography on vegetation and soils was greater at wetter sites than at drier sites, suggesting that the distance-to-mean water table is a primary determinant of wetland biogeochemistry. These findings highlight clear controls of microtopography on vegetation and soil distributions while also supporting the notion that microtopography arises from feedbacks that concentrate biomass, soil nutrients, and productivity on microsite highs, especially in otherwise wet conditions. We therefore conclude that microtopography is a fundamental organizing structure in black ash wetlands.

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Evaluating Adaptive Management Options for Black Ash Forests in the Face of Emerald Ash Borer Invasion

Cited by 40 publications

References 35 publications

Pattern and structure of microtopography implies autogenic origins in forested wetlands

Pattern and structure of microtopography implies autogenic origins in forested wetlands

Microtopography is a fundamental organizing structure in black ash wetlands

Microtopography is a fundamental organizing structure of vegetation and soil chemistry in black ash wetlands

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