This is a guest post composed as part of the NSF Science: Becoming the Messenger workshop, Lawrence KS January 27, 2011
Competition, environment, genetic foundations of individual tree fitness- All these factors and more can influence response to disturbance events in forest communities. Disturbance events such as drought and pest infestations can trigger tree mortality and impair important forest function such as carbon sequestration, water purification, wildlife habitats, recreation and timber industry uses. With disturbance events predicted to increase in frequency in the future, understanding the impacts of disturbance on tree mortality can further our understanding of forest ecosystem functioning in the future. The multiple aspects that influence forest mortality and decline event can complicate studies of disturbance impacts. A major oak decline event occurring in recent decades in Northwest Arkansas provides insight into the impacts of disturbance on forest ecosystems, which is important for understanding the future of global carbon and climate cycles as disturbance is predicted to increase in the future.
Through analysis of stable carbon, oxygen and nitrogen isotopes and analysis of differential responses among co-occurring individuals, we can infer that differences in the physiological response of Quercus rubra and macrocarpa to disturbance events influenced individual resilience to mortality following disturbance events. Understanding the impacts of disturbance events will enable us to predict the future of ecosystem services - ranging from timber and recreation to carbon sequestration and local hydrology.
