Differences in the damage caused by glaze ice on codominantAcer saccharumandFagus grandifolia

摘要

A severe glaze ice storm had greater destructive impact onFagus grandifoliathan on codominantAcer saccharumtrees in a mature southern Quebec forest. Both the numbers and total biomass of major branches lost by beech were significantly greater than by sugar maple compared with the contribution of each species to the canopy composition. This greater ice damage to beech suggests that reciprocal replacement processes involving beech and maple seedlings cannot completely account for the maintenance of beechndash;maple codominance in northern forests subject to relatively frequent ice storms. We hypothesize that the ability of beech to root sprout is important in compensating for its greater susceptibility to ice damage and contributes to the maintenance of beechndash;maple codominance in northern forests.