The role of understory vegetation in the nutrient cycle of forested ecosystems in the mountain hemlock biogeoclimatic zone
department or school: Forestry, Faculty of
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCV
creator: Yarie, John
issued: 2010-03-02T00:50:06Z
issued: 1978
related degree: Doctor of Philosophy - PhD
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: A study was carried out to ascertain the biogeochemical role of understory vegetation in three representative sites characteristic of the Mountain Hemlock Biogeoclimatic Zone. The three sites were selected to represent a typical topographic sequence of plant associations and were classified as members of the Vaccinio (membranacei) -Tsugetum mertensianae, Abieto (amabilis) - Tsugetum mertensianae and Streptopo (rosei) - Abietetum amabilis plant associations (xeric, mesic, and hygric site types, respectively). The overstory layer was found to be typical of old growth, high elevation forests of southwestern coastal British Columbia. Overstory biomass on the three sites was estimated to be 60.88, 55.68, and 34.05 kg•m⁻² for the hygric, mesic, and xeric site types, respectively. Understory aboveground biomass was found to be less than one percent of the aboveground overstory biomass. Average values for the three sites were: 44.1, 66.1, and 399.3 g•m⁻² for the hygric, mesic, and xeric site types, respectively. Understory aboveground production (UAP) was found to represent a greater proportion of overstory aboveground production, as indicated by the mean annual increment (MAI), than the biomass figures might suggest. UAP values of 25.95, 14.19, and 63.12 g•m⁻²•yr⁻¹ for the hygric, mesic, and xeric site types, respectively, were equivalent to 11.28 percent, 6.06 percent, and 48.55 percent of the estimated aboveground overstory production. Only a small percentage of the total aboveground nutrient standing crop was found in the understory. This is in agreement with comparable published values for old growth forest ecosystems. However, the understory was found to cycle a much greater proportion of its total standing crop annually compared to overstory. Approximately 80 percent of the macronutrients present in the understory standing crop are found in the understory annual production on the Streptopo - Abietetum amabilis site (hygric site type). Estimates of 17.6, 8.3, and 20.6…
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/21318
note: THE ROLE OF UNDERSTORY VEGETATION IN THE NUTRIENT CYCLE OF FORESTED ECOSYSTEMS IN THE MOUNTAIN HEMLOCK BIOGEOCLIMATIC ZONE By JOHN YARIE B .Sc , University of West Virginia, 1971 M.Sc, University of Maine, 1974 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES (Faculty of Forestry) We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In May, 1978 John Yarie, 1978 In present ing th is thes is in p a r t i a l fu l f i lment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the Univers i ty of B r i t i s h Columbia, I agree that the L ibrary shal l make it f ree l y ava i lab le for reference and study. I fur ther agree that permission for extensive copying of th is thesis for scho la r l y purposes may be granted by the Head of my Department or by h is representat ives . It is understood that copying or pub l i ca t ion of th is thes is fo r f i n a n c i a l gain sha l l not be allowed without my writ ten pe rm i ss i on . Department of The Univers i ty of B r i t i s h Columbia 2075 Wesbrook Place Vancouver, Canada V6T 1W5 Date (blj^jL M , i i THE ROLE OF UNDERSTORY VEGETATION IN THE NUTRIENT CYCLE OF FORESTED ECOSYSTEMS IN THE MOUNTAIN HEMLOCK BIOGEOCLIMATIC ZONE ABSTRACT A study was carried out to ascertain the biogeochemical role of understory vegetation in three representative sites characteristic of the Mountain Hemlock Biogeoclimatic Zone. The three sites were selected to represent a typical topographic sequence of plant associa-tions and were classified as members of the Vaccinio (membranacei) -Tsugetum mertensianae, Abieto (amabilis) - Tsugetum mertensianae and Streptopo (rosei) - Abietetum amabilis plant associations (xeric, mesic, and hygric site types, respectively). The overstory layer was found to be typical of old growth, high elevation forests of southwestern coastal British Columbia. Overstory biomass on the three sites was esti…
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0094517
language: eng
degree discipline: Forestry
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
scholar level: Graduate
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/21318