Title

Spatial pattern analysis of pre- and post-hurricane forest canopy structure in North Carolina, USA

Authors

Authors

J. C. Boutet;J. F. Weishampel

Comments

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Abbreviated Journal Title

Landsc. Ecol.

Keywords

autocorrelation; canopy topography; disturbance; Fractal dimension; hurricane; laser altimetry; remote sensing; duke forest; forest; landscape; ecosystem organisation; CATASTROPHIC WIND; RAIN-FOREST; PUERTO-RICO; BASAL AREA; GAP MODEL; LANDSCAPE; LIGHT; TEMPERATE; BIOMASS; LIDAR; Ecology; Geography, Physical; Geosciences, Multidisciplinary

Abstract

Existing spatial patterns of a forest are in part a product of its disturbance history. Using laser altimetry and field measures of canopy top height to represent pre- and post-hurricane canopy topography, respectively, we measured changes in spatial patterns of stand structure of a United States southern mixed coniferous-deciduous forest. Autocorrelative and fractal properties were measured in this opportunistic study to quantify changes in canopy architecture along twelve, 190-250 m transects that were subjected to moderate to high levels of wind disturbance. Prior to the hurricane, canopy heights were autocorrelated at scales < 40 m with an average fractal dimension of 1.71. After the disturbance, autocorrelation disappeared; the average fractal dimension rose to 1.94. This shift towards spatial randomness illustrates part of the cyclical nature of ecosystem development. It shows how a catastrophic collapse of biomass accumulation corresponds to a decrease in ecosystem organization across a landscape.

Journal Title

Landscape Ecology

Volume

18

Issue/Number

6

Publication Date

1-1-2003

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

553

Last Page

559

WOS Identifier

WOS:000185827300001

ISSN

0921-2973

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