DOI
https://doi.org/10.25772/PB52-BB53
Defense Date
2016
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Biology
First Advisor
Chris Gough
Abstract
Temperate forests are complex ecosystems that sequester carbon (C) in biomass. C storage is related to ecosystem-scale forest structure, changing over succession, disturbance, and with community composition. We quantified ecosystem biological and physical structure in two forest chronosequences varying in disturbance intensity, and three late successional functional types to examine how multiple structural expressions relate to ecosystem C cycling. We quantified C cycling as wood net primary production (NPP), ecosystem structure as Simpson’s Index, and physical structure as leaf quantity (LAI) and arrangement (rugosity), examining how wood NPP-structure relates to light distribution and use-efficiency. Relationships between structural attributes of biodiversity, LAI, and rugosity differed. Development of rugosity was conserved regardless of disturbance and composition, suggesting optimization of vegetation arrangement over succession. LAI and rugosity showed significant positive productivity trends over succession, particularly within deciduous broadleaf forests, suggesting these measures of structure contain complementary, not redundant, information related to C cycling.
Rights
© Cynthia M Scheuermann 2016 All Rights Reserved
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
12-16-2016
Included in
Forest Biology Commons, Forest Management Commons, Other Forestry and Forest Sciences Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons