Forest Community Changes at Mountain Lake

 

Table 1. Forest Stand Changes Showing Recovery From Chestnut Blight at Salt Pond Mountain, Mountain Lake, VA. Figures given are percentages of the total number of trees in each sample.

Date sampled

1932

1969

2000

Number of trees

117

88

147
       

Species

      
       

American chestnut

84

-

1

Northern red oak

11

67

52

White oak

3

3

2

Red maple

1

5

2

Cucumber magnolia

1

2

8

Black locust

-

9

1

Juneberry

-

5

3

Black birch

-

6

3

Black cherry

-

2

8

Striped maple

-

1

10

Sugar maple

-

-

5

Witch hazel

-

-

3

American beech

-

-

1

Hemlock

-

-

1

1932 data collected by Lucy Braun (1950)
1969 data collected by Steven Stephenson (1970)
2000 data collected by Youth Conservation Camp participants (unpublished)

Questions:

1.      What was the dominant tree in 1932?

2.      What was the dominant tree in 1969?  2000?

3.      How many species were present in 1932?

4.      How many species were present in 1969?

5.      How many species were present in 2000?

6.      Did biodiversity increase or decrease as a result of the chestnut blight?

7.      What tree had the greatest percentage increase between 1969 and 2000?


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