Effects of Native American agricultural practices on Colonial Point forest composition.

Abstract

Fire was a commonly used practice for managing the forests on Colonial Point by Native Americans up until the late 19th century. The main use of fire was to clear land and supplement soils with nutrients for agricultural purposes. We surveyed two areas of similar ecosystem types; one in the North with little reported agriculture and one in the South with more extensive reports of agriculture. In each of these areas we surveyed ten plots and analyzed data about the forest composition. We hypothesized that there would be a significant difference in the forest composition of the two areas; specifically that red oak would be more prevalent in the farmed area and that the unfarmed area would be dominated by sugar maple and American beech. Our data supported the hypothesis that red oak would be dominant in the farmed area and American beech is dominant in the unfarmed site however no statistical difference existed in sugar maple composition. We believe that this is due to the nutrient differences in the sites as a result of the farming and access of seeds to the mineral soil. We also believe that both sites are succeeding towards sugar maple dominated forests.