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Primeval Magnolia‐Holly‐Beech Climax in Louisiana
Author(s) -
Delcourt Hazel R.,
Delcourt Paul A.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.2307/1935154
Subject(s) - beech , climax , edaphic , climax community , ecology , geography , vegetation (pathology) , thicket , forestry , loess , ecological succession , habitat , geology , biology , geomorphology , medicine , pathology , soil water
An early American Land Office Survey (1821) has provided a reliable basis for reconstruction of early settlement forest patterns within West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana. Application of the statistical test, analysis of variance, in the evaluation of surveyor bias in selection of bearing trees is a refinement of previous methods. Distribution of forest communities has been delineated on the basis of edaphic and topographic relationships. A forest community of tupelogum and cypress occurred in the alluvial plain of the Mississippi River. Upland portions of West Feliciana supported a magnolia—holly—beech mixed hardwoods on thick loess deposits. A second distinct association of magnolia, beech, and holly existed in ravine and river lowlands of the loess hills. Occurrence of a mixed white oak—pine—beech forest was restricted to the northeastern portion of the present parish. This study represents the first quantitative evidence to support the existence of a late—successional, or climax, magnolia—holly—beech forest in the original vegetation of upland mesic sites within a portion of the Gulf Coastal Plain, U.S.A.