Plant Biology Colloquium | Ecology of Hickory Deduced through Long-Term Population Trends, Growth, and Reproductive Responses to Climate, Forest Dynamics, and Silvicultural Managemente, Oct. 20

The Plant Biology Colloquium series presents Aaron Rudolph , graduate student in Environmental and Plant Biology at Ohio University, discussing "Ecology of Hickory (Carya spp.) Deduced through Long-Term Population Trends, Growth, and Reproductive Responses to Climate, Forest Dynamics, and Silvicultural Management" on Oct. 20 in Porter 104 on the Athens Campus from 11:50 a.m. to 12:40 p.m.

Host: Brian McCarthy

For more information about the series, contact Dr. Glenn Matlack .

Abstract: Global climate change and human management practices are strong external forces that shape the compositions of our forests. My dissertation aimed to determine how these forces are influencing eastern North American forests, specifically focusing critically important, hickories ( Carya ) and oaks ( Quercus ). First, the impacts of forest mesophication on hickory populations and broader forest compositions were examined. While long-lived forest overstories remain stable, major compositional shifts in the forest midstory towards mesic-adapted species highlight the speed at which mesophication can alter forests. Next, the impacts of climate variability on hickory were assessed. Among three hickory species ( Carya glabra, Carya ovata, and Carya tomentosa ), all appear sensitive to summer growing season precipitation and site water balance. However, hickory growth-climate relationships appear to be undergoing a temporal shift to be more important earlier in the growing season. Finally, the long-term success of sustained forest management practices was evaluated. Hickories and oaks exhibit positive regeneration responses to repeated burning and overstory thinning, although to a varying degree. Overall, my dissertation highlights the potential impacts of climate change and human management on forest ecosystems and the need to recognize and adapt forest research and management to these major forces.