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- Title
Forest transformation resulting from an exotic pathogen: regeneration and tanoak mortality in coast redwood stands affected by sudden oak death.
- Authors
Ramage, Benjamin S.; O'Hara, Kevin L.; Forrestel, Alison B.
- Abstract
Sudden oak death is dramatically altering forests throughout coastal California, but little is known about the communities that are assembling in affected areas. This emerging disease, caused by the exotic pathogen (S. Werres, A.W.A.M. de Cock), has had especially severe effects on tanoak ( (Hook. & Arn.) Manos, Cannon & S.H. Oh), a broadleaf evergreen that is abundant in forests dominated by coast redwood ( (D.Don) Endl.). Tanoak, a valuable food source to numerous wildlife species, is unlikely to successfully regenerate in diseased areas, and thus, affected redwood forests are transitioning to a novel state. In this study, to predict which species might replace tanoak, we investigated regeneration patterns in heavily impacted stands in Marin County, California. Our main findings were as follows: ( i) despite reductions in canopy cover, there is no evidence that any species other than tanoak has exhibited a regenerative response to tanoak mortality, ( ii) the regeneration stratum was dominated by redwood and tanoak (other tree species were patchy and (or) scarce), and ( iii) some severely affected areas lacked sufficient regeneration to fully re-occupy available growing space. Our results indicate that redwood is likely to initially re-occupy the majority of the ground relinquished by tanoak, but also provide evidence that longer-term trajectories are unresolved, and may be highly responsive to management interventions.
- Subjects
MARIN County (Calif.); CALIFORNIA; FORESTS &; forestry; PATHOGENIC microorganisms; PLANT population regeneration; TANOAK; COAST redwood; TREE mortality
- Publication
Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 2011, Vol 41, Issue 4, p763
- ISSN
0045-5067
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1139/x11-020