Dakota Bell

Professor McGee

EFB 102 Biology Lab

2 November 2018

Lack of Soil Surface Variation in Secondary Forests at Heiberg and its Effect

on Biodiversity in the Forest Community

Introduction

The majority of the Heiberg forest was clear cut by the logging industry and then became

privately owned farmland (Griffith McGee, 2018). The land was abandoned after the Industrial

Revolution and the Great Depression (Griffith McGee, 2018). The government planted the

spruce trees to prevent soil erosion. The trees were planted within a small window of time and

have grown to similar heights.

In the residual forests at Heiberg, there is great biodiversity among the trees and the

ground cover. The trees are all native hardwoods at different stages of life resulting in various

heights and widths giving sufficient light for abundant shrubbery and ferns below. The ground is

extremely uneven and rocky which makes it evident that the land had not previously been

leveled or tilled. The forest as a whole appears to be healthy and flourishing.

In the successional forest, the ground is flat and bare. All of the trees are spruce, which

are foreign to the area and planted in a small window of time making them relatively similar in

size. All of the trees being similar heights creates a thick canopy that does not let much light

through and prevents ground cover and growth of foliage on the lower branches of the trees. The
area appears to be dead despite the needles at the top of the trees. There are no animals to be

found and to disperse seeds.

There was much more variation in soil surface in the primary forest than the secondary

forest. Varying soil heights may result from the natural hills and valleys, fallen trees, tree roots,

and other ground cover. The variation in soil surface height allows for greater biodiversity. When

there is more surface area for organisms to grow and shelter is provided for insects and small

mammals. The soil surface in the successional forest is much more level and does not allow for

great biodiversity. Therefore, the main cause of the lack of biodiversity in the successional

Heiberg forest is the lack of soil surface variation (cm).

Methods

The study took place on the barrier of where the primary forest met the secondary forest

at Heiberg. The groups first took data from the primary forest, then the secondary forest. A 10-m

long plot was randomly selected and mapped out using a tape measure. One person held the tape

measure at the starting point and another at the ending point. A third person took measurements

and recorded the results. The tape measure was kept level and taught while the distance from the

tape measure to the ground was measured in centimeters at 1 meter intervals. This procedure was

meant to measure the hills and valleys present. The same procedure was repeated in the

secondary forest. Twenty samples were averaged to find an accurate representation of the data

gathered from each forest. The data from the primary forest was compared to the data collected

from the secondary forest.

Results
 Figure 1 shows the average in height variation among 20 sample data sets from a primary

forest plot and a secondary forest plot. There is an overlap in the standard deviations that means

there is no significant difference between the soil surface variation between the two forest types

based on the data collected. This means that soil surface variation cannot be a significant factor

in the lack of biodiversity in the successional forest at Heiberg.

Surface Soil Variation in Residual and Secondary Forests at Heiberg, NY
Discussion

It was hypothesized that soil surface variation allows for greater biodiversity and the lack

thereof was a driving force in the lack of diversity in plant life in the secondary forest at Heiberg.

Errors may have occurred in the collection of data because the data was measured manually and

may have been read incorrectly. Also the endpoints of the tape measure may have moved during

the collection of heights. The tape measure may not have been held completely taught as well.

Other variables that were explored to possibly be the driving force for the lack of biodiversity

were differences in soil pH, organic soil depth, and photon flux density. An analysis performed

by Jennifer Campos found that there was no significant difference of soil pH between forest

types and therefore pH could not be a significant factor on the lack of biodiversity in secondary

forests(Campos, pg 4, 2018). An identical experiment carried out by Dr. McGee and Dr. Griffiths

concluded that there was no major difference in organic soil depth between forest types (Griffiths

and McGee, pg 11, 2018). This eliminated organic soil depth as a determining factor. In an

experiment performed by Xiomalin Guerrero on the effects photon flux density, it was concluded

that light penetration through the canopy cover allowed for greater amounts of plant life and

ground cover in the primary forest than in the secondary (Guerrero, pg 3, 2018). This makes

photon flux density a likely determining factor on the lack of biodiversity in the secondary forest.

Follow up studies should be done to further analyze the effects of photon flux density.

Perhaps a survey of the density and types of ground cover plants could be done to look into the

density of light needed to grow native ground cover. Specific species of plant may attract specific

species of wildlife and alter the ecosystem. Identifying a species of plant that attracts a greater
diversity of wildlife could lead to a better understanding of how to undergo a more successful

restoration of post-agricultural forests.

Conclusion

The overlap in the standard deviations in Figure 1 determines that there is no significant

difference between the soil surface variation between the two forest types and therefore soil

surface variation cannot be a significant factor in the lack of diversity in the community. The

hypothesis must be rejected and other environmental variables should be researched to find the

true determining factors of the lack of biodiversity in the successional forest at Heiberg
References

Campos, J. (October 2018). pH as the Determining Factor of Biodiversity in Secondary and

Residual Woodlots within the Heiberg Memorial Forest, NY.

Griffiths, G.R. and G.G. McGee. 2018. Lack of herbaceous layer community recovery in post

agricultural forests across three physiographic regions of New York. Journal of the

Torrey Botanical Society 145(1):1-20.

Guerrero, X. (October 2018). Effects of Photon Flux Density on Herbaceous Cover in the

Secondary and Primary Forests of HEiberg Forest, Tully Valley, NY.