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Ecotone Dynamics and Boundary Determination in the Great Dismal Swamp
Data on hydrogeology, soils, and vegetation collected on four transects across the 48—km wetland—to—upland transition zone of the Great Dismal Swamp of Virginia/North Carolina, USA, were used to analyze changes along the moisture/elevation gradient, to characterize the wetland—upland ecotone, and to select tentative wetland—upland boundaries based on these three parameters. Transition zone vegetation was dominated by three facultative hydrophytes: Acer rubrum, Liquidambar styraciflua, and Nyssa sylvatica. On the basis of ordination performed on consecutive 25—m transect increments, each transect was divided into three zones: wetland, ecotone, and upland. The water table was within the root zone (0—30 cm below the ground surface) an average of 25—100% of the growing season at all well sites in wetland, <25—100% for most well sites in the ecotone, and <25—50% for well sites in upland. Soils were hydric in the wetland and ecotone, and histosols were found only in the wetland zone. Soils were generally nonhydric in the upland zone. Wetland boundaries determined on the basis of each parameter differed; they were within 38 m horizontal distance and 1.1 m vertical distance on the transects where all three boundaries could be determined. These boundaries were relatively close considering the length of the transects, the coarse resolution of the soils and hydrology data, and certain assumptions made during the analysis. On one of the remaining transects, the hydrology and soils boundaries differed by >100 m horizontal distance and 0.4 m vertical distance. Only a vegetation boundary was established on the fourth transect.
Ecotone Dynamics and Boundary Determination in the Great Dismal Swamp
Data on hydrogeology, soils, and vegetation collected on four transects across the 48—km wetland—to—upland transition zone of the Great Dismal Swamp of Virginia/North Carolina, USA, were used to analyze changes along the moisture/elevation gradient, to characterize the wetland—upland ecotone, and to select tentative wetland—upland boundaries based on these three parameters. Transition zone vegetation was dominated by three facultative hydrophytes: Acer rubrum, Liquidambar styraciflua, and Nyssa sylvatica. On the basis of ordination performed on consecutive 25—m transect increments, each transect was divided into three zones: wetland, ecotone, and upland. The water table was within the root zone (0—30 cm below the ground surface) an average of 25—100% of the growing season at all well sites in wetland, <25—100% for most well sites in the ecotone, and <25—50% for well sites in upland. Soils were hydric in the wetland and ecotone, and histosols were found only in the wetland zone. Soils were generally nonhydric in the upland zone. Wetland boundaries determined on the basis of each parameter differed; they were within 38 m horizontal distance and 1.1 m vertical distance on the transects where all three boundaries could be determined. These boundaries were relatively close considering the length of the transects, the coarse resolution of the soils and hydrology data, and certain assumptions made during the analysis. On one of the remaining transects, the hydrology and soils boundaries differed by >100 m horizontal distance and 0.4 m vertical distance. Only a vegetation boundary was established on the fourth transect.
Ecotone Dynamics and Boundary Determination in the Great Dismal Swamp
Carter, Virginia (author) / Gammon, Patricia T. (author) / Garrett, Mary Keith (author)
Ecological Applications ; 4 ; 189-203
1994-02-01
15 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
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