Landscape Ecology of a Native Invasive, Red Maple (Acer rubrum L.)

School of Natural Resources & Environment

McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Research

October 28, 2002

Burton V. Barnes;

Dennis A. Albert, Collaborator

• Red maple is one of the most widely geographically distributed tree species in eastern North America.

• Although a minor component of most presettlement forests, it has greatly expanded its range and influence in upland forests

• Loss of oaks and pines is perceived to be a consequence of this massive invasion.

Rationale

• The reasons for its widespread expansion are not clear and this expansion has been has termed a "paradox.”

• Also, red maple has been labeled a "super-generalist." However, based on research with its sister species in Japan, I hypothesize that our red maple is a "super-specialist" -- in wetland ecosystems.

• Thus, the widespread occurrence of wetlands throughout eastern North America has provided red maple access to adjacent uplands.

• Research to date has neglected the wetland ecosystem home of red maple as a fundamental reason for its expansion.

Objectives

• Develop a conceptual ecosystem-based model of red maple occurrence, expansion, and persistence in space and time.

• Determine the full range of wetland ecosystems currently occupied by red maple occurrence on moraine, ice-contact, and lake plain landforms in SE Michigan.

• Determine the change in composition of red maple and American elm over a 30-year period in three wetland ecosystems of SE Michigan.

Approach• Conduct a comprehensive literature review of the

presettlement occurrence of red maple in wetlands and uplands of eastern North America.

• Determine the full range of ecosystems occupied in moraine, ice-contact, and lake plain landforms in SE Michigan through transect and plot sampling.

• Determine change in red maple composition over time by re-sampling permanent sample plots in three wetland ecosystems established in 1974 in SE Michigan

Comparison of red maple in eastern North America and Japan

Geographic range of red maple

Geographic range of Japanese red maple

Populations of Japanese Red Maple