Experiments Are Revealing a Foundation Species : A Case Study of Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)
Author
Source
Issue
Vol. 2014, Issue 2014 (31 Dec. 2014), pp.1-11, 11 p.
Publisher
Hindawi Publishing Corporation
Publication Date
2014-07-17
Country of Publication
Egypt
No. of Pages
11
Main Subjects
Natural & Life Sciences (Multidisciplinary)
Biology
Abstract EN
Foundation species are species that create and define particular ecosystems; control in large measure the distribution and abundance of associated flora and fauna; and modulate core ecosystem processes, such as energy flux and biogeochemical cycles.
However, whether a particular species plays a foundational role in a system is not simply asserted.
Rather, it is a hypothesis to be tested, and such tests are best done with large-scale, long-term manipulative experiments.
The utility of such experiments is illustrated through a review of the Harvard Forest Hemlock Removal Experiment (HF-HeRE), a multidecadal, multihectare experiment designed to test the foundational role of eastern hemlock, Tsuga canadensis, in eastern North American forests.
Experimental removal of T.
canadensis has revealed that after 10 years, this species has pronounced, long-term effects on associated flora and fauna, but shorter-term effects on energy flux and nutrient cycles.
We hypothesize that on century-long scales, slower changes in soil microbial associates will further alter ecosystem processes in T.
canadensis stands.
HF-HeRE may indeed continue for >100 years, but at such time scales, episodic disturbances and changes in regional climate and land cover can be expected to interact in novel ways with these forests and their foundation species.
American Psychological Association (APA)
Ellison, Aaron M.. 2014. Experiments Are Revealing a Foundation Species : A Case Study of Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). Advances in Ecology،Vol. 2014, no. 2014, pp.1-11.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-472986
Modern Language Association (MLA)
Ellison, Aaron M.. Experiments Are Revealing a Foundation Species : A Case Study of Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). Advances in Ecology No. 2014 (2014), pp.1-11.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-472986
American Medical Association (AMA)
Ellison, Aaron M.. Experiments Are Revealing a Foundation Species : A Case Study of Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis). Advances in Ecology. 2014. Vol. 2014, no. 2014, pp.1-11.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-472986
Data Type
Journal Articles
Language
English
Notes
Includes bibliographical references
Record ID
BIM-472986