FOR 308

BEAR MEADOWS BOG FOREST COMPOSITION, STRUCTURE AND CANOPY GAP IMAPCTS ON UNDESTORY REGENERATION

Reference: Kovar, A. J. 1964. Pollen analysis of the bear meadow bog of centralPennsylvania. Proc. P. Acad. Sci. 38:16-24.

Braun, E. L. 1950. Deciduous Forests of Eastern North America p. 236-237, 481.

Abrams, M. D. C. A. Copenheaver, B. A. Black and S. van deGevel. 2001. Dendroecology and climatic impacts for a relict, old-growth, bog forest in the central Ridge and Valley Province. Canadian Journal of Botany 79: 58-69.

A. Physical features and history1. Size – 350 acres2. Elevation – about 1800 ft.3. Topography – surrounded by ridges up to 2400 ft (not glaciated like many other bogs)4. Histosol organic soil; but drained via Sinking Creek; not a true bog5. Logged in late 1800’s except for hemlock and blackgum (now old-growth trees)6. Sphagnum moss harvests7. Disturbances – fires, animals, etc.8. Present status- acts like a bog; with relict tree species (black spruce and balsam fir)

B. As an example of a hydrosere – stages present:1. Bog meadow (sedges, rattlesnake grass, cotton grass, sundew, sphagnum moss)2. Bog shrub (highbush blueberry, leatherleaf, alder)3. Bog forest (black spruce, balsam fir, hemlock, white pine, rhododendron)4. Border forest (hemlock, red maple, birches, rhododendron)5. Upland forest (oaks, red maple, black birch, pitch pine, blueberry, mountain laurel.

C. As an example of a frost pocket.

Equipment

Compass, d-tape or logger’s tape, 50-100' tape, chaining pin; bring pencil and paper.

MethodsOBSERVE BORDER FOREST AND PLOT SURVEY THE BOG FOREST (including canopy gap locations)

Make observations about the soil (mineral versus organic) and overstory and understory vegetation in the forest adjacent to the bog forest. Include these observations in the lab report.

1

LAB REPORTCalculations, summary tables (as in previous labs for overstory trees and understory seedlings, saplings, shrubs and herb cover, AND final report due: beginning of lab on the following week.

Use stratified circular plots to survey mature trees, saplings and seedlings and shrub and herbaceous cover, using a minimum of 12 plots. Your transects should run through the bog interior. Data collected for the mature trees is used to calculate canopy class distribution, density, dominance, frequency, and the Importance value of each surveyed species. In addition, record sapling and seedling number and shrub and herb cover in three different locations where there is a canopy gap (fallen tree or trees) to determine regeneration differences in gap versus non-gap plots.

Each group (4-5 students) will pick a starting point at the forest edge and follow a compass bearing (transect) into the interior of the forest. At every 20 paces a point will be marked that will be the 800 sq. ft. plot center for the overstory survey (tree larger than > 3 inches at dbh). Record the species, canopy class and dbh of each “in” tree. Using the same plot center, conduct an understory survey and record species and number of all saplings (< 3.0 inches dbh and > 4.5 feet in height) in a 100 sq. ft. plot at each sample point. Next record species and number of all tree seedlings (< 4.5 feet in height) in a 50 sq. ft. plot. Also estimate total cover of each shrub and herbaceous species in the 50 sq. ft. plot into one of the following cover classes:

Class Canopy Coverage Midpoint1 0 - 5% 2.5%2 5 - 25% 15.0%3 25 - 50% 37.5%4 50 - 75% 62.5%5 75 - 100% 87.5%

Students should reference previous labs for overstory calculation and methods

Each group is responsible for doing all the calculations described above with the data your group collected. The report should be typed and organized in a neat format. Be sure to include a copy of your group’s field data with the final report.

1. Introduction and methods: in this section (1-2 paragraphs) you should summarize the problem we are trying to address with this study, and include a description of the sites we sampled and the rationale we used to select them. Finally, briefly describe the methods we used to collect the data.

2. Study area description, including location, topography, soils, forest condition and evidence of disturbance.

2

2. Results: This part of the report should have two sections, Part I: Data Analysis for Overstory Trees, and Part II: Data Analysis for understory vegetation. Make sure you don't forget any of the steps! Do all the calculations with your group data and include one step-by-step example for each calculation. Summary Tables: Create summary tables showing the results from Bear Meadows, including canopy class distribution and the understory data in the three gap plots.

3. Discussion & Conclusions (1-2 pages):

The questions below are designed to guide your discussion and should be addressed in fluent paragraph form; questions should not to be answered individually independent of each other.

Describe the overstory composition and structure of the Bear meadows bog forest. How do overstory dominants differ from the dominant understory species at the site? Also describe groundcover and tree regeneration (i.e. saplings & seedlings) in the stand. Do they vary much on a plot by plot basis, including gap versus non-gap plots? How do you explain the differences you observed? Cite numbers from your data to back up each of your assertions.

How do the soils and forest composition of this bog forest differ from that of the forest bordering the bog? What is a relic tree species and which ones are present at Bear Meadows? What impact did previous logging have on the existing forest at Bear Meadows? What are the old-growth species at Bear Meadows not cut in the 1900s logging?

3

Bear Meadows map (top is north). We will enter the bog near the southwest edge and proceed east into the bog. Your plot transect should run to the northeast. When you finish the plot sampling, exit the bog by heading north or northeast to intersect the trail or road. The bus is parked at the northeast tip of the bog the start of North Bear Meadows Road.

4

5