Forest change in high-elevation forests of Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina: re-census and analysis of data collected over 40 years

Laura Lusk; Matt Mutel; Elaine S. Walker; Foster Levy

Treesearch

Forest change in high-elevation forests of Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina: re-census and analysis of data collected over 40 years

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Laura Lusk, Matt Mutel, Elaine S. Walker, Foster Levy

Year:

2010

Type:

Other

Station:

Northern Research Station

Source:

In: Rentch, James S.; Schuler, Thomas M., eds. 2010. Proceedings from the conference on the ecology and management of high-elevation forests in the central and southern Appalachian Mountains. 2009 May 14-15; Slatyfork, WV. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-64. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 104-112.

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Abstract

The Black Mountain range of western North Carolina supports some of the most extensive but threatened high-elevation forests in the southern Appalachians. Of particular note, the insect pathogen, balsam woolly adelgid (Adelges piceae Ratzeburg), has been present on Mt. Mitchell for more than 50 years. In anticipation of potential changes in forest composition, vegetation surveys were first conducted in 1966 on nine 1-acre plots near the summit of Mt. Mitchell. These plots were resurveyed in 1978, 1985, and 2002. The purpose of this study was to survey those plots again and use those data to analyze long-term trends in forest composition for fir, spruce-fir, and spruce-fir-hardwood forest types.

Parent Publication

Proceedings from the conference on the ecology and management of high-elevation forests in the central and southern Appalachian Mountains

Citation

Lusk, Laura; Mutel, Matt; Walker, Elaine S.; Levy, Foster. 2010. Forest change in high-elevation forests of Mt Mitchell, North Carolina: re-census and analysis of data collected over 40 years. In: Rentch, James S.; Schuler, Thomas M., eds. 2010. Proceedings from the conference on the ecology and management of high-elevation forests in the central and southern Appalachian Mountains. 2009 May 14-15; Slatyfork, WV. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-64. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 104-112.