Abstract
Small seasonally flooded forest ponds have received increased attention due to a growing recognition of their abundance in many landscapes, their importance as habitat for a variety of organisms, and the contributions they make to species and ecosystem diversity. There also is concern over potential negative effects of forest management in adjacent uplands on seasonal pond ecology. Several studies have examined invertebrate and songbird responses to upland harvest around seasonal ponds. Less attention has been given to examining how seasonal pond plant communities respond to adjacent forest harvesting. We studied the response of seasonal pond plant communities to adjacent upland timber harvests, assessing whether buffers around ponds (15.25m uncut and partially cut) mitigated changes in species abundance and community composition, relative to changes in ponds that were clearcut to the pond margin. We addressed our objective using an operational-scale experiment in northern Minnesota, which included pre-harvest sampling, replicated treatments, and uncut controls.
Keywords
seasonal ponds,
vernal pools,
forest wetlands,
wetland plant communities,
harvesting impacts
Citation
Palik, Brian J.; Kastendick, Doug. 2010. Response of seasonal pond plant communities to upland forest harvest in northern Minnesota forests, USA. Forest Ecology and Management. 260: 628-637.
