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Relationships between Overstory Structure and Understory Production in the Grand Fir/Myrtle Boxwood Habitat Type of Northcentral Idaho
Author
Pyke, D. A.
Zamora, B. A.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
1982-11-01
Body

Relationships between overstory structure and understory current year production on 20 undisturbed sites of the grand fir/myrtle boxwood habitat type were studied in the Clearwater Mountains of northcentral Idaho. Overstory characteristics measured were tree canopy coverage, sum of the tree diameters, basal area, stand height, and stem density. Understory production was divided into four vegetation classes: (1) shrubs, (2) forbs, (3) graminoid and (4) total production. Regression models predicting current year production of each understory vegetation class were developed using all possible combinations of overstory parameters as independent variables. Canopy coverage and sum of the tree diameters were found to be the best indices of understory production. Canopy coverage was most significantly correlated with total understory production and shrub production. Canopy coverage and sum of the tree diameters were the most significantly correlated overstory parameters with forb production. Graminoid production was not significantly correlated to any of the measured overstory parameters. Basal area, tree density, and stand height were not statistically related to the understory production. Further examination of the models is needed to validate these relationships over the range of the grand fir/myrtle boxwood habitat type. The models are not applicable to areas where recent disturbance such as logging, fire, or disease has affected overstory structure. This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020

Language
en
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Journal Issue/Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.2307/3898261
Additional Information
Pyke, D. A., & Zamora, B. A. (1982). Relationships between overstory structure and understory production in the grand fir/myrtle boxwood habitat type of northcentral Idaho. Journal of Range Management, 35(6), 769-773.
ISSN
0022-409X
OAI Identifier
oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/646077
Journal Volume
35
Journal Number
6
Journal Pages
769-773
Collection
Rangeland Ecology & Management (REM)
Journal Name
Journal of Range Management
Keywords
Stem
Overstory Structure
understory production
Grand Fir
Myrtle Boxwood Habitat
Northcentral Idaho
Stem Diameters
Canopy Coverage
graminoids
Clearwater Ranger District
Nezperce National Forest
density
shrubs
height
basal area
relationships
forbs