Myster2009

Report for study: Myster2009

Contact Information

Data contributor: Randall W. Myster

Email: myster@okstate.edu

Address:

• Biology Department, OSU-OKC, 900 N Portland Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73107-6195, USA

Data source

Citation: Myster RW (2009). 'Tree seedling survivorship, growth, and allocation in the Cross Timbers ecotone of Oklahoma, USA.' Plant Ecology, 205(2), pp. 193-199.

DOI: 10.1007/s11258-009-9609-0

Abstract: In order to better understand tree dynamics and maintenance of the ecotone between eastern deciduous forest and tallgrass prairie, I planted seedlings of five different species into a Cross Timbers area in North West Oklahoma for one-year. The seedlings were planted in four different patch-types under two different herbivore treatments. I found that (1) out of the original 200 seedlings, 58 survived after one-year with lacebark elm ( Ulmus parrifolia ), osage orange ( Maclura pomifera ), and eastern redbud ( Cercis canadensis ) surviving the most and protection from herbivores increasing survivorship by more than an order of magnitude, (2) elm ( Ulmus parrifolia ) showed the slowest stem growth but protection from herbivory increased stem growth rate by approximately 50%, leaf area ratio was largest for elm ( Ulmus parrifolia ) but seedlings growing in sumac ( Rhus copallina ) patches had the smallest values, specific leaf area was the largest for orange ( Maclura pomifera ) seedlings with tree seedlings growing in grass patches showing greater values than those grown in other patches, and (3) leaf mass ratio was largest for elm ( Ulmus parrifolia ) with seedlings grown in sumac ( Rhus copallina ) patches showing the smallest values and rough-leaf dogwood ( Cornus drummondii ) had the most root biomass relative to shoot biomass compared to all other species. Results suggest tree invasion and establishment across this ecotone is influenced both by species identity and by the variation in resources associated with the distribution and patch dynamics of vegetation from both eastern deciduous forest and tallgrass prairie.

Overview of data provided

The dataset includes records for 58 individuals from 5 species belonging to 5 family(ies), presenting 1 functional type(s), growing in 1 condition(s) within 1 major type(s) of habitat, with data included for the following variables:

Variable	Label	Units	N	Min	Median	Max
latitude	Latitude	deg	58	37	37	37
longitude	Longitude	deg	58	-97	-97	-97
a.lf	Leaf area	m2	58	0.00096	0.0026	0.0063
h.t	Height	m	58	0.25	0.33	0.46
m.lf	Leaf mass	kg	58	0.00006	0.00018	0.001
m.st	Total stem mass	kg	58	0.00007	0.00028	0.00095
m.so	Aboveground mass	kg	58	0.00015	0.00047	0.0015
m.rt	Total root mass	kg	58	0.0003	0.00055	0.002
m.to	Total mass	kg	58	0.00047	0.001	0.0032

And locally within the country:

The sites sampled are:

Location	Longitude	Latitude	Vegetation
Lake Carl Blackwell, Oklahoma USA	-97.4667	36.65	Temperate forest

The growing conditions of sampled plants was:

Location	growingCondition
Lake Carl Blackwell, Oklahoma USA	plantation managed

Species sampled

Species	Family	Pft
Cornus drummondii	Cornaceae	deciduous angiosperm
Ulmus parrifolia	Ulmaceae	deciduous angiosperm
Maclura pomifera	Moraceae	deciduous angiosperm
Cercis canadensis	Fabaceae	deciduous angiosperm
Quercus shumardii	Fagaceae	deciduous angiosperm

Methods used

Tree seedlings were planted in 4 different microsites and 2 different herbivory treatments. After one year in the field surviving seedlings were harvested and measured for height: leaf area and root/shoot/leaf biomass.

Total leaf area was measured with a leaf area meter (LI-3100G ,LI-COR, Inc. Lincoln,:

All seedlings had an initial height ofapproximately 20 cm when planted. Final height measured with a ruler.:

Seedlings were dried at room temperature for a month in paper bages and then weighed for total leaf biomass, stem biomass and root biomass.:

Plots of data

This is how the study Myster2009 fits in the entire dataset (grey). each colour represents a species. A legend of species names with colours is included at the end for reports with 1 < n < 20 species.