Tree, stand, and landscape factors contributing to hurricane damage in a coastal plain forest: Post-hurricane assessment in a longleaf pine landscape

Rutledge, Brandon T.; Cannon, Jeffery B.; McIntyre, R. Kevin; Holland, Angela M.; Jack, Steven B.

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2020.118724

Cited by 43 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…Precipitation, in particular in the coldest quarter, was a selected predictor for both pine and hardwood tree damage, but interestingly showed opposite patterns for tree-types with increased risk for pine and decreased risk (though non-signi cant) for hardwood trees. This is consistent with observations that soil characteristics can interact with tree species vulnerability, as hardwood trees are often more vulnerable to wind damage in drier soils, while pine trees are more vulnerable to wind damage in wetter soils (Rutledge et al 2021). For hardwood tree damage, higher temperatures during the dry quarter were associated with increased damage severity, again suggesting that dry soils increased damage risk.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

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Predicting Risks of Severe Windstorm Damage to Southeastern U.S. forests

Fortuin

Montes

Vogt

et al. 2021

Preprint

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ContextThe southeastern U.S. experiences tornadoes and severe thunderstorms that can cause economic and ecological damage to forest stands resulting in loss of timber, reduction in short-term carbon sequestration, and increasing forest pests and pathogens. ObjectivesThis project sought to determine landscape-scale patterns of recurring wind damages and their relationships to topographic attributes, overall climatic patterns and soil characteristics in southeastern forests. MethodsWe assembled post-damage assessment data collected since 2012 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). We utilized a regularized Generalized Additive Model (GAM) framework to identify and select influencing topographic, soil and climate variables and to discriminate between damage levels (broken branches, uprooting, or trunk breakage). Further, we applied a multinomial GAM utilizing the identified variables to generate predictions and interpolated the results to create predictive maps for tree damage. ResultsTerrain characteristics of slope and valley depth, soil characteristics including erodibility factor and bedrock depth, and climatic variables including temperatures and precipitation levels contributed to damage severity for pine trees. In contrast, valley depth and soil pH, along with climactic variables of isothermality and temperature contributed to damage severity for hardwood trees. Areas in the mid-south from Mississippi to Alabama, and portions of central Arkansas and Oklahoma showed increased probabilities of more severe levels of tree damage. ConclusionsOur project identified important soil and climatic predictors of tree damage levels, and areas in the southeastern U.S. that are at greater risk of severe wind damage, with management implications under continuing climate change.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…trees are more vulnerable to damage in drier soils while pine (Pinus spp.) trees have increased resistance to wind damage in drier soils (Rutledge et al 2021). Chemical and physical properties of the soil can affect root development and nutrient availability, which in turn in uences tree health and root stability.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predicting Risks of Severe Windstorm Damage to Southeastern U.S. forests

Fortuin

Montes

Vogt

et al. 2021

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Immediate impacts of TCs on forests can be particularly devastating with damages ranging from defoliation to extensive trunk snapping or tree uprooting. Most studies focused on the local-or landscape-scale damages caused by a single TC (e.g., [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]). Analyses of the impacts of multiple TCs on larger regional or global scales are needed to better understand how forests respond to these large-scale disturbances in the context of changing TCs intensity [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tropical Cyclone Impact and Forest Resilience in the Southwestern Pacific

et al. 2022

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Tropical cyclones (TCs) can have profound effects on the dynamics of forest vegetation that need to be better understood. Here, we analysed changes in forest vegetation induced by TCs using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). We used an accurate historical database of TC tracks and intensities, together with the Willoughby cyclone model to reconstruct the 2D surface wind speed structure of TCs and analyse how TCs affect forest vegetation. We used segmented linear models to identify significant breakpoints in the relationship between the reconstructed maximum sustained wind speed (Wmax) and the observed changes in NDVI. We tested the hypothesis that the rate of change in damage caused by TCs to forest and recovery time would increase according to Wmax thresholds as defined in the widely used Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale (SSHWS). We showed that the most significant breakpoint was located at 50 m/s. This breakpoint corresponds to the transition between categories 2 and 3 TCs in the SSHWS. Below this breakpoint, damages caused to forest vegetation and the time needed to recover from these damages were negligable. We found a second breakpoint, with a sharp increase in damages for winds >75 m/s. This suggested that extremely intense tropical cyclones, which might be more frequent in the future, can cause extreme damages to forest vegetation. Nevertheless, we found high variation in the observed damages and time needed to recover for a given Wmax. Further studies are needed to integrate other factors that might affect the exposure and resistance to TCs as well as forests’ capacity to recover from these disturbances.

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“…Species may exhibit varying resistance and resilience to windstorms due to the differences in their stem, crown and root architecture, as well as stem strength and elasticity and leaf shape and texture [ 29 ]. In southern pine forests, for example, longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris ) has been found to be less affected than other species following hurricanes [ 30 – 34 ]. Stands of taller and older trees could also be more vulnerable to windthrow than stands of younger, shorter trees [ 25 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term effects of catastrophic wind on southern US coastal forests: Lessons from a major hurricane

et al. 2021

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Threats posed by windstorms are an increasing concern to forest managers in the southern United States (US). Studies suggest that the southern US will experience an increase in the occurrence as well as the intensity of windstorms, such as hurricanes, in the future. However, forest managers may have difficulty preparing for this future because there is limited understanding of how windstorms affect the structure and composition of forests over the long term. In this study, we evaluated the impacts of Hurricane Ivan, which made landfall in September 2004 near Gulf Shore, Alabama, impacting forests in the western Florida Panhandle and southwestern Alabama. We acquired the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plot data available for the period from 2002 to 2018 for the Ivan-affected area and classified the plots into 4 categories: (1). ND (No Disturbance), (2). NDBH (No Disturbance but Harvested), (3). ID (Disturbance caused by Hurricane Ivan), and (4). IDAH (Disturbance caused by Hurricane Ivan and Harvested). The plots that were damaged by Hurricane Ivan (ID and IDAH plots) had significantly (α = 0.05) (1) higher basal area, (2) higher quadratic mean diameter and height, (3) more diverse tree species composition (species richness and Shannon diversity index), (4) denser stocking of seedling and saplings, (5) lower proportion of dead trees or saplings, and (6) higher live aboveground biomass than the plots that were not damaged by the hurricane (ND and NDBH plots). Diverse stands were not necessarily more windstorm resistant. Species diversity in the overstory may not improve forest resistance to hurricane damage but may improve its resilience following the hurricane. The study suggests that managing stand structure through density management and stand improvement could be critical to windstorm resilience and resistance in the southern US forests.

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Tree, stand, and landscape factors contributing to hurricane damage in a coastal plain forest: Post-hurricane assessment in a longleaf pine landscape

Cited by 43 publications

References 69 publications

Predicting Risks of Severe Windstorm Damage to Southeastern U.S. forests

Predicting Risks of Severe Windstorm Damage to Southeastern U.S. forests

Tropical Cyclone Impact and Forest Resilience in the Southwestern Pacific

Long-term effects of catastrophic wind on southern US coastal forests: Lessons from a major hurricane

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