Canopy profiles of some Piedmont hardwood forests

Abstract

Relationships between canopy profiles and site quality were examined in 11 old, uneven-aged (>180 years) hardwood forests in the Piedmont of eastern North Carolina. Site fertility was indexed by extractable soil calcium and phosphorus, by the content of calcium, phosphorus and nitrogen in litter fall, and by the aboveground net primary productivity of each stand. Canopy profiles were indexed by the leaf area index for each 3.3-m height interval. Total leaf area index correlated highly with most measures of site fertility, but we found no clear patterns between canopy profiles and any measure of site fertility. We conclude that site fertility is reflected in broad ecosystem-level variables such as total leaf area index and stand productivity, but that detailed patterns such as canopy profiles relate strongly to specific stand composition, age structure, and history.