Effect of Elevation on the Abundance of Northern Red Oak Trees

• Amy Junga

  Juniata College

  Author

Elevation plays an important role in the distribution of a species as some species can not survive at higher elevations. Some species are capable of living in a variety of environments across a range of elevations. The Northern red oak tree (Quercus rubra L.) is a species which is able to grow in a wide range of elevations. This study tested if the abundance of Northern red oak trees changes with elevation in order to determine the effects of elevation on tree abundance. The abundance of Northern red oak trees was measured at three different elevations in the same local area. This was done by counting the number of Northern red oak trees in four different areas at a lowest, middle, and highest elevation ranging in about 600 ft. There was found to be no significant difference in the abundance of these trees across the three elevations. These results indicate that there must be other abiotic factors such as soil composition, sun exposure or moisture which have a more profound affect on the abundance of Northern red oak trees. More research must be done to determine the relationship between elevation and site characteristics to understand which factor is more dominant in affecting various species abundance.

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