| Virginia
Journal of Science.
2001. Vol 52 (1) : 3-11 |
| Ice
Storm Damage to Virginia Coastal Plain Forests during the Christmas
1998 Ice Storm Peter Elstner and Stewart Ware, Department of Biology, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795 ABSTRACT
On December 23-25, 1998, a major ice storm struck
southeastern Virginia. The storm-deposited glaze ice felled trees
and limbs, causing a power outage and highway blockage. Between
February and April, 1999, we recorded occurrence, severity, and type of
damage to trees over 2.5 cm dbh in nine mostly gently sloping plots in
Matoaka Woods at the College of William and Mary. Frequency and
severity of damage varied with species and with size of trees.
Canopy damage occurred in 75% of large Fagus grandifolia trees, but in
only 6% of small Sassafras albidum
stems. As a group, small (2.5 to 15 cm dbh) trees were less
likely to be damaged than large (> 15 cm dbh) trees, but about as
likely to be severely damaged. Damage type also varied among the
species and size. Despite severe damage to public utilities,
damage within the forest was not great. Since few trees lost
their entire crown, canopy gap sizes were small, and it not clear that
much change in forest composition will result from this storm.
However, increased density of ground litter will contribute to greater
mineral release, and this, plus small gaps may promote growth of
already present seedlings and saplings. |