Changes in the community structure of urban and rural forest patches in Baltimore from 1998 to 2015

dc.contributor.advisorSullivan, Josephen_US
dc.contributor.authorTempleton, Laura Kristineen_US
dc.contributor.departmentPlant Science and Landscape Architecture (PSLA)en_US
dc.contributor.publisherDigital Repository at the University of Marylanden_US
dc.contributor.publisherUniversity of Maryland (College Park, Md.)en_US
dc.date.accessioned2016-09-07T05:31:09Z
dc.date.available2016-09-07T05:31:09Z
dc.date.issued2016en_US
dc.description.abstractUrban forests are often highly fragmented with many exotic species. Altered disturbance regimes and environmental pollutants influence urban forest vegetation. One of the best ways to understand the impacts of land-use on forest composition is through long-term research. In 1998, the Baltimore Ecosystem Study established eight forest plots to investigate the impacts of urbanization on natural ecosystems. Four plots were located in urban forest patches and four were located in rural forests. In 2015, I revisited these plots to measure abundances and quantify change in forest composition, diversity, and structure. Sapling, shrub, and seedling abundance were reduced in the rural plots. Alpha diversity and turnover was lower in the rural plots. Beta diversity was reduced in the rural plots. The structure of the urban plots was mostly unchanged, except for a highly reduced sapling layer. Beta diversity in the urban plots was consistent across surveys due to high species turnover.en_US
dc.identifierhttps://doi.org/10.13016/M2K50N
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/18631
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.subject.pqcontrolledPlant sciencesen_US
dc.subject.pqcontrolledEcologyen_US
dc.subject.pqcontrolledUrban forestryen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledBaltimoreen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledBiodiversityen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledCommunity Ecologyen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledForest Ecologyen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledLong-Term Researchen_US
dc.subject.pquncontrolledUrbanizationen_US
dc.titleChanges in the community structure of urban and rural forest patches in Baltimore from 1998 to 2015en_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

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