A Pilot Test of Indicator Species to Assess Uniqueness of Oak-Dominated Ecoregions in Central Tennessee

This article is part of a larger document. View the larger document here.

Download
(PDF; 57 KB)
Cite
Feedback
  • Authors: McNab, W. Henry; Loftis, David L.; Schweitzer, Callie J.; Sheffield, Raymond
  • Publication Year: 2004
  • Publication Series: General Technical Report (GTR)
  • Source: Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-73. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. pp. 88-93

Abstract

We used tree indicator species occurring on 438 plots in the Plateau counties of Tennessee to test the uniqueness of four conterminous ecoregions. Multinomial logistic regression indicated that the presence of 14 tree species allowed classification of sample plots according to ecoregion with an average overall accuracy of 75 percent (range 45 to 94 percent). Additional analysis revealed that the largest ecoregion could be subdivided into northern and southern zones based on frequency of occurrence of five other indicator species. Under the premise that tree assem-blages of varying composition indicate areas of differing environmental conditions, results of our test suggest the delineated ecoregions are unique.

  • Citation: McNab, W. Henry; Loftis, David L.; Schweitzer, Callie J.; Sheffield, Raymond. 2004. A Pilot Test of Indicator Species to Assess Uniqueness of Oak-Dominated Ecoregions in Central Tennessee. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-73. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. pp. 88-93
  • Posted Date: January 1, 2000
  • Modified Date: August 22, 2006

    • Print Publications Are No Longer Available

    In an ongoing effort to be fiscally responsible, the Southern Research Station (SRS) will no longer produce and distribute hard copies of our publications. Many SRS publications are available at cost via the Government Printing Office (GPO). Electronic versions of publications may be downloaded, printed, and distributed.

    Publication Notes

    • This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.
    • Our online publications are scanned and captured using Adobe Acrobat. During the capture process some typographical errors may occur. Please contact the SRS webmaster if you notice any errors which make this publication unusable.
    • To view this article, download the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.