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Forest Canopy Stratification-Is It Useful?

Geoffrey G Parker, Martin J Brown

    The American Naturalist
    |February 7, 2001
    PubMed
    Summary

    Forest canopy structure is complex. Stratification concepts are unclear and difficult to measure, limiting their use in understanding forest ecosystems. New approaches focus on direct measurement and ecological gradients.

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    Area of Science:

    • Ecology
    • Forest Science
    • Ecological Structure

    Background:

    • Forest canopy structure is crucial for ecosystem functions like regeneration and habitat.
    • Stratification (layering) is a common but imprecise concept for describing canopy complexity.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To evaluate the utility of "stratification" and "layering" concepts for defining forest canopy structure.
    • To identify limitations of stratification in describing canopy complexity.
    • To propose alternative frameworks for studying forest canopy structure.

    Main Methods:

    • Analysis of the usage and definitions of "stratification" and "layering" terms.
    • Application of these definitions to a well-studied forest canopy in Virginia, USA.
    • Identification of conceptual limitations including scale dependence and spatial averaging.

    Main Results:

    • The terms "stratification" and "layering" have ambiguous and inconsistent meanings.
    • These concepts failed to clearly define the presence, number, or location of canopy strata in the studied forest.
    • Stratification is limited by scale dependence, reference point, and spatial averaging.

    Conclusions:

    • The concept of stratification is inadequate for consistently and clearly describing forest canopy structure.
    • Direct measurement and mapping of structural and environmental variables are proposed as alternatives.
    • Viewing canopy structure as ecological gradients offers a more robust approach.
    Keywords:
    canopyforestlayerstratificationstratum

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