Vegetative Structure of an Appalachian Oak Forest in Southwestern Virginia

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Abstract
Structural parameters were used to assess differences among major vegetation types in an Appalachian oak forest in southwestern Virginia. Cluster analysis resulted in ordering stands along a moisture gradient determined from site topographic features. Position along the moisture gradient from mesic to xeric was reflected in a number of vegetative structural variables. For the overstory, these included decreased canopy coverage, decreased stand height and decreased stem basal area. Trends in the shrub stratum (1-5 m) tended to be the reverse of those in the overstory. Vegetative structure is strongly influenced by site relationships reflecting differences in moisture regime.

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