Hurricane Impacts to Tree Islands in Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida
| Autor: | Frank J. Mazzotti, Cristina A. Ugarte, Laura A. Brandt, Stefani Melvin, Kenneth G. Rice |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2006 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Southeastern Naturalist. 5:737-746 |
| ISSN: | 1938-5412 1528-7092 |
| DOI: | 10.1656/1528-7092(2006)5[737:hittii]2.0.co;2 |
| Popis: | Tree islands—small, wetland forest communities imbedded in a matrix of freshwater marsh—characterize Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in South Florida. The establishment and spread of invasive exotic plant species were hypothesized to alter tree-island communities and prolong recovery times from hurricane disturbances. During the fall of 2004, two hurricanes, Frances and Jeanne, caused damage to these tree islands. We examined the spatial extent of damage to tree islands and tree species across the Refuge by sampling 74 islands. Each tree island was assigned an overall damage rating based on both the openness of the canopy and the type and quantity of damage received. Distance from the eye-wall of the hurricanes, tree-island size, average tree height on the island, and relative abundance of invasive exotic plants were examined as predictors of damage. Over 85% of the sampled tree islands had damage, with most of the damage occurring in the center of the Refuge. Most tree is... |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
|