Skip to Main Content
-
The forgotten stage of forest succession: early-successional ecosystems on forest sites
Author(s): Mark E. Swanson; Jerry F. Franklin; Robert L. Beschta; Charles M. Crisafulli; Dominick A. DellaSala; Richard L. Hutto; David B. Lindenmayer; Frederick J. Swanson
Date: 2010
Source: Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 9 p. DOI: 10.1890/090157
Publication Series: Scientific Journal (JRNL)
Station: Pacific Northwest Research Station
PDF: Download Publication (4.32 MB)Description
Early-successional forest ecosystems that develop after stand-replacing or partial disturbances are diverse in species, processes, and structure. Post-disturbance ecosystems are also often rich in biological legacies, including surviving organisms and organically derived structures, such as woody debris. These legacies and postdisturbance plant communities provide resources that attract and sustain high species diversity, including numerous early-successional obligates, such as certain woodpeckers and arthropods. Early succession is the only period when tree canopies do not dominate the forest site, and so this stage can be characterized by high productivity of plant species (including herbs and shrubs), complex food webs, large nutrient fluxes, and high structural and spatial complexity. Different disturbances contrast markedly in terms of biological legacies, and this will influence the resultant physical and biological conditions, thus affecting successional pathways. Management activities, such as postdisturbance logging and dense tree planting, can reduce the richness within and the duration of early-successional ecosystems. Where maintenance of biodiversity is an objective, the importance and value of these natural early-successional ecosystems are underappreciated.Publication Notes
- Visit PNW's Publication Request Page to request a hard copy of this publication.
- We recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article, to retain the full citation information.
- This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.
Citation
Swanson, M.E.; Franklin, J.F.; Beschta, R.L.; Crisafulli, C.M.; DellaSala, D.A.; Hutto, R.L.; Lindenmayer, D.B.; Swanson, F.J. 2010. The forgotten stage of forest succession: early-successional ecosystems on forest sites. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 9 p.Cited
Keywords
succession, secondary succession, ecosystem function, meadows, forest management, disturbanceRelated Search
- Disturbances and structural development of natural forest ecosystems with silvicultural implications, using Douglas-fir forests as an example.
- Wisdom from the little folk: the forest tales of birds, squirrels, and fungi.
- The effects of disturbance and succession on wildlife habitat and animal communities [Chapter 11]
XML: View XML
Show More
Show Fewer
https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/36205