Browsing by Author "Bainbridge, Erin L."
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Item Open Access Patterns of vegetation development following clearcutting of Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. in west-central Alberta(2004) Bainbridge, Erin L.; Strong, WayneVegetation development was described forty-five years after clearcutting of Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud, in the Upper Boreal-Cordilleran ecoregion of west-central Alberta. Understory species composition and abundance in 143 clearcut stands were analysed in relation to stand age, and to crown cover as measured by densiometer. Twenty-four stands were used to describe the native vegetation. The most abundant species were common to both clearcut and native stands, and the vegetation of older clearcut stands approximated that of native stands. Although early serai species abundance was not strongly related to increasing crown cover and stand age, later serai species abundance increased. Time- and crown cover-based models of vegetation development were presented and incorporated elements from existing physiognomic and successional models. It is proposed that crown cover could be manipulated to reach management objectives related to wildlife habitat or landscape reclamation.