SREL Reprint #3026

Twelve year response of old-growth southeastern bottomland hardwood forests to disturbance from Hurricane Hugo

Dehai Zhao1, Bruce Allen2, and Rebecca R. Sharitz3

1Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
2Department of Natural Resources, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43021, USA
3Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, USA

Abstract: The influence of wind damage from Hurricane Hugo on bottomland forest community structure and composition over a 12 year period was evaluated using data generated from repeated measurements in permanent plots. The resistance and responsiveness of the forests to hurricane disturbance at the community level are dependent on the prehurricane species composition and structure. However, there is no evidence to support the hypothesis that forests with higher species diversity are more resistant to hurricane disturbances. The hurricane disturbance does restructure species composition and may enrich species diversity, but the evidence of diversity enrichment is not strong. The effects of the hurricane on the succession of the bottomland forests are complex at the tree population level: both promoting colonization of some shade-intolerant pioneer species and removing other established pioneers. Changes in community composition and structure suggest that hurricane disturbance can accelerate succession of the bottomland hardwood forests.

SREL Reprint #3026

Zhao, D., B. Allen, and R. R. Sharitz. 2006. Twelve year response of old-growth southeastern bottomland hardwood forests to disturbance from Hurricane Hugo. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 36:3136-3147.

This information was provided by the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (srel.uga.edu).