Status of Fraxinus americana and effect of ash mortality on forest composition on UMBS property.

Abstract

With this study, we aim to determine the status of Fraxinus americana (white ash) on University of Michigan Biological Station property 14 years following the detection of the emerald ash borer in the state. In addition, we investigate how the covertypes of the ecosystems where ash currently exist will change following their death. Building on datasets begun by Douglass Pearsall in the 1980s and 1990s, we resampled permanent plots to determine what species were there and in what quantity. We rated the health of all present ash trees on a numerical scale and took DBH and dripline measurements. From this data we worked with the relative density of overstory and the relative dominance of under story within the canopy gaps to draw our conclusions. Ultimately we found that there has not yet been a significant change in the species richness of the plots that we sampled, nor is there a significant change in the species composition of most of these plot s. However , the data we collected do indicate general trends which suggest the potential for several new and interesting research proposals.