The Forest-Field Ecotone of Dysart Woods, Belmont County, Ohio

Abstract

The two tracts of forest constituting Dysart Woods, a mature oak forest, are bordered by secondary-growth forests and by fields which have been removed from agricultural use at different times. The vegetation along the margins of the mature forest and along the adjacent fields was studied to determine the existing vegetation and the trend of the migration of trees into the fields. Quadrat data for herbs, shrubs, and trees show vegetational trends characteristic of oldfield succession, but which vary from field to field. The arborescent vegetation indicates that the forest should become dominated by Fagus grandifolia and Acer saccharum as it expands into the fields. Quercus alba, a dominant in the forest, appears to lose that status within the expanding margins.