Population dynamics of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) at the southern portion of its range: implications for range migration and succession

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dc.contributorShankman, David
dc.contributorOswalt, Christopher M.
dc.contributor.advisorHart, Justin L.
dc.contributor.authorTurberville, Craig Marcus
dc.contributor.otherUniversity of Alabama Tuscaloosa
dc.date.accessioned2017-03-01T14:45:13Z
dc.date.available2017-03-01T14:45:13Z
dc.date.issued2011
dc.descriptionElectronic Thesis or Dissertationen_US
dc.description.abstractEvidence for climate change driven range migration exists for a variety of tree species in eastern North America. Northward range migration for tree species in the region requires a decrease in population density near the southern range boundary coupled with an increase in population density at the northern range boundary. Sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) is one such species that has been projected by some biogeographic models to shift north in accord with climate. However, a widespread pattern of increased sugar maple density has been reported in the forest science literature from a variety of sites throughout the species' range. This pattern is linked to a complex of interacting factors and has been hypothesized to represent a positive feedback that facilitates sugar maple regeneration. The primary goal of my study was to test which of these hypotheses (range migration or succession) was correct for the southern portion of the sugar maple range. I used Forest Inventory and Analysis program data to compare region-wide population dynamics for this species on a plot-by-plot basis. Changes in frequency, density, and dominance of sugar maple trees and seedlings were compared over multiple years for the states of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Plot data for all states were combined to determine changes in frequency, density, and dominance for the contiguous and non-contiguous regions of sugar maple's southern range portion. Results indicated increases in frequency, density, and dominance of sugar maple within its contiguous range coupled with decreases outside of the contiguous range. It is postulated based on these data that sugar maple's southern range boundary will remain stabilized while the northern boundary will continue to migrate with increasing global temperatures.en_US
dc.format.extent41 p.
dc.format.mediumelectronic
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.otheru0015_0000001_0000677
dc.identifier.otherTurberville_alatus_0004M_10820
dc.identifier.urihttps://ir.ua.edu/handle/123456789/1182
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of Alabama Libraries
dc.relation.hasversionborn digital
dc.relation.ispartofThe University of Alabama Electronic Theses and Dissertations
dc.relation.ispartofThe University of Alabama Libraries Digital Collections
dc.rightsAll rights reserved by the author unless otherwise indicated.en_US
dc.subjectPhysical geography
dc.subjectBiology
dc.subjectClimate change
dc.titlePopulation dynamics of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) at the southern portion of its range: implications for range migration and successionen_US
dc.typethesis
dc.typetext
etdms.degree.departmentUniversity of Alabama. Department of Geography
etdms.degree.disciplineGeography
etdms.degree.grantorThe University of Alabama
etdms.degree.levelmaster's
etdms.degree.nameM.S.

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