Defining species guilds in the Central Hardwood Forest, USA

Abstract

Tree regeneration outcomes are challenging to generalize and difficult to predict. Many tree species can establish new propagules in a variety of post-disturbance environments and many different reproductive mechanisms may be used. In order to develop conceptual models that accurately reflect reproductive potential, we need a better understanding of the similarities in regeneration ecology among species. We used information from the forest ecology literature to evaluate the reproductive attributes of sixty-two tree species in the central hardwood region of the eastern United States. Each species was classified categorically for features such as flowering, seed production and dispersal, seed dormancy, germination requirements, seedling characteristics, and vegetative reproduction. Cluster analysis (Jaccard’s similarity coefficient, complete linkage method) and ordination (homogeneity analysis) were used to separate nine groups (guilds) of species that had similar reproductive attributes.

Citation

Sutherland, Elaine Kennedy; Hale, Betsy J.; Hix, David M. 2000. Defining species guilds in the Central Hardwood Forest, USA. Plant Ecology. 147: 1-19.