Water Stewardship Information Sources
| Citation | Giesbrecht, IJW. 2010. Understory light and vegetation in two floodplain forests in coastal British Columbia. MRM Thesis, Simon Fraser University. |
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| Organization | SFU |
| URL | http://research.rem.sfu.ca/theses/GiesbrechtIan_2010_MRM508.pdf |
| Abstract/Description or Keywords | Understanding the interactions of environmental and vegetation characteristics is necessary for effective ecosystem management. I examined how environmental heterogeneity affects understory vegetation within older floodplain stands in coastal temperate rainforests. In two one-hectare sites, I estimated vegetation and environment characteristics on a systematic grid and generated maps of understory light transmission. Both sites have ≥92% area in canopy gap or expanded gap and abundant (18% full sun), spatially variable understory light. Within sites, understory composition varies over short distances in correlation with light transmission. Shrub cover increases with light and may play a role in maintaining the amount and spatial pattern of canopy openness. At one site, point diversity decreases as light increases, suggesting that shady microsites can provide refugia from intense competition. Management practices encouraging canopy openness and spatial heterogeneity in second growth stands may accelerate development of similar processes and patterns; this prediction should be evaluated experimentally. Keywords: riparian forest; canopy gaps; light transmission; environmental heterogeneity; understory vegetation; species diversity. |
| Information Type | thesis |
| Regional Watershed | Vancouver Island South, Central Coast |
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| Comments | |
| Project status | complete |
| Contact Name | Ian Giesbrecht |
| Contact Email |