The influence of historical land use on the successional dynamics of a suburban deciduous forest

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dc.contributor.advisorBeauchamp, Vanessa B.
dc.contributor.authorBreen, Daniel B., III
dc.contributor.departmentTowson University. Department of Biological Sciences
dc.date.accessioned2015-12-17T19:33:05Z
dc.date.available2015-12-17T19:33:05Z
dc.date.issued2014-07-08
dc.date.submitted2014-05
dc.description(M.S.) -- Towson University, 2014.
dc.description.abstractLength of time since agricultural abandonment, variations in topography and soil, and forest fragmentation associated with suburban development can influence the succession of a deciduous forest. I analyzed herbaceous and woody vegetation data collected at the forested Middle Patuxent Environmental Area (MPEA) in 2001, 2009, and 2012 to better understand succession in a suburban forest remnant and to investigate the effects of time since abandonment and variations in landscape on vegetation. Herbaceous vegetation fluctuated across decadal, interannual, and seasonal scales, with a decadal increase in major invasive species. Shrubs also experienced a greater abundance of invasive species across the decade, whereas the tree stratum better aligned with the expected trends of a deciduous forest. Though herbaceous plants and shrubs displayed some differential distributions reflective of time since abandonment, trees differed the most distinctly in accordance with agricultural legacy, proximity to suburban edges, and major soil nutrients.
dc.description.tableofcontentsSuccessional trajectories of a suburban deciduous forest at the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area -- The influence of agricultural abandonment and the abiotic environment on the vegetation communities of a suburban deciduous forest
dc.formatapplication/pdf
dc.format.extentviii, 118 pages
dc.genretheses
dc.identifierdoi:10.13016/M2XQ4S
dc.identifier.otherTSP2014Breen
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11603/2002
dc.language.isoeng
dc.relation.ispartofTowson University Archives
dc.relation.ispartofTowson University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
dc.relation.ispartofTowson University Institutional Repository
dc.rightsCopyright protected, all rights reserved.
dc.titleThe influence of historical land use on the successional dynamics of a suburban deciduous forest
dc.typeText
dcterms.accessRightsThere are no restrictions on access to this document. An internet release form signed by the author to display this document online is on file with Towson University Special Collections and Archives.

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