Disturbance patterns in southern Rocky Mountain forests

Authors

T.T. Veblen
R.L. Knight
F.W. Smith
S.W. Buskirk
W.H. Romme
W.L. Baker

Document Type

Book

Source

University Press of Colorado

First Page

31

Last Page

54

Publication Date

2000

Abstract

The pattern of landscape diversity in the Southern Rocky Mountains has been described as resulting from "two superimposed vegetation pat- terns: the distribution of species along gradients of limiting factors, and patterns of disturbance and recovery within the communities at each point along the environmental gradients" (Romme and Knight 1982). The previous chapter (D. H. Knight and W. A. Reiners, this volume) has emphasized the first pattern whereas this chapter emphasizes the role of natural disturbance in creating landscape patterns. Although human impacts on fundamentally natural disturbances such as fires and insect outbreaks are included, other chapters treat disturbances of exclusively human origin such as logging and road construction.

Recommended Citation

Veblen, T. (2000). Disturbance patterns in southern Rocky Mountain forests, pp. 31-54 in RL Knight et al. (eds) Forest Fragmentation in the Southern Rocky Mountains, Colorado University Press, Boulder.