Riparian tree seedling distribution on Wisconsin River sandbars: controls at different spatial scales

We investigated the influence of physical characteristics at the local (quadrat) and landscape (sandbar, channel, and river cross-section) scale on the distribution of pioneer tree seedlings (Acer saccharinum, Betula nigra, Populus deltoides, and Salix spp.) on 30 sandbars along a 16-km reach of the Wisconsin River in 1998. At the landscape scale, new seedlings were most frequent in side channels that were inactive (stagnant) at low river flow, older seedlings were most frequent in narrower side channels, and saplings were most frequent on higher sandbars and in narrower channels. At the local scale, seedling occurrence in individual 1 × 2 m quadrats (n = 692) was significantly related to the horizontal and topographic position and the vegetative cover on the quadrat. Landscape relationships for species that dispersed prior to a small midsummer flood (Acer and Betula) were stronger than models for later dispersers (Populus and Salix), and models for old seedlings and saplings were stronger than those for ...

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