| Beech bark disease (BBD) has been present in the Adirondacks since the 1960s and has had a profound effect on forest spatial structure. All trees with a diameter at breast height &ge 5 cm were mapped in a &sim2 ha forest stand in the central Adirondacks in 1985, 2000 and 2009. I used Ripley's K-function to investigate the effect of BBD on gap-phase regeneration (i.e., recruitment, growth and mortality), local density of beech ( Fagus grandifolia) saplings and fine-scale spread of BBD. High mortality of canopy beech trees, competitive release of beech saplings in canopy gaps, strong beech self-replacement and directional replacement of sugar maple ( Acer saccharum) by beech suggest that beech is poised for continued dominance in this stand. Furthermore, highly diseased beech trees are perpetuating a low quality beech stand by increasing sapling density and serving as a source from which BBD can spread to these saplings.Keywords: American beech, beech bark disease, disease spread, forest dynamics, gap-phase regeneration, Ripley's K-function... |
