The Herbaceous Layer in Forests of Eastern North America

by Gilliam, Frank S.; Roberts, Mark R.

• ISBN13: 9780195140880
• ISBN10: 0195140885
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-07-24
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Focusing on the oft-overlooked herbaceous layer of eastern forests, this volume combines perspectives from different levels of biological organization (ecophysiology to ecosystems) and forest types (from the eastern boreal forest to southeastern pine forests) into a synthesis of our knowledge of the ecology of this important forest layer. This is the first book of its kind to synthesize information concerning herbaceous layer structure, composition, and dynamics of a variety of forest ecosystem types in eastern North America. With over 1,200 references cited in the 14 chapters, this book represents the most comprehensive review of literature on the ecology of the herbaceous layer.

Table of Contents

Contributors	xv
1 Introduction: Conceptual Framework for Studies of the Herbaceous Layer	3	(12)
Frank S. Gilliam and Mark R. Roberts
I The Environment of the Herbaceous Layer
2 Nutrient Relations of the Herbaceous Layer in Deciduous Forest Ecosystems	15	(23)
Robert N. Muller
3 Ecophysiology of the Herbaceous Layer in Temperate Deciduous Forests	38	(53)
Howard S. Neufeld and Donald R. Young
4 Interactions of Nutrient Effects with Other Biotic Factors in the Herbaceous Layer	91	(14)
Wendy B. Anderson
II Population Dynamics of the Herbaceous Layer
5 Populations of and Threats to Rare Plants of the Herb Layer: More Challenges and Opportunities for Conservation Biologists	105	(58)
Claudia L. Jolls
III Community Dynamics of the Herbaceous Layer across Spatial and Temporal Scales
6 The Herbaceous Layer of Eastern Old-Growth Deciduous Forests	163	(14)
Brian C. McCarthy
7 Habitat Heterogeneity and Maintenance of Species in Understory Communities	177	(21)
Susan W. Beatty
8 Interactions Between the Herbaceous Layer and Overstory Canopy of Eastern Forests: A Mechanism for Linkage	198	(26)
Frank S. Gilliam and Mark R. Roberts
9 Temporal and Spatial Patterns of Herbaceous Layer Communities in the North Carolina Piedmont	224	(14)
Norman L. Christensen and Frank S. Gilliam
10 Composition and Dynamics of the Understory Vegetation in the Boreal Forest of Quebec	238	(27)
Louis De Grandpré, Yves Bergeron, Thuy Nguyen, Catherine Boudreault, and Pierre Grondin
IV Community Dynamics of the Herbaceous Layer and the Role of Disturbance
11 The Herbaceous Layer as a Filter Determining Spatial Pattern in Forest Tree Regeneration	265	(18)
Lisa O. George and Fakhri A. Bazzaz
12 Invasions of Forests in the Eastern United States	283	(19)
James O. Luken
13 Response of the Herbaceous Layer to Disturbance in Eastern Forests	302	(21)
Mark R. Roberts and Frank S. Gilliam
V Synthesis
14 The Dynamic Nature of the Herbaceous Layer: Synthesis and Future Directions for Research	323	(16)
Frank S. Gilliam and Mark R. Roberts
References	339	(62)
Index	401