Long-term influence of disturbance-generated microsites on forest structural and compositional development

Wind disturbance generates heterogeneous microsite structures, including downed logs, windthrow mounds, and pits. While these structures can provide opportunities for regeneration of certain tree species, the long-term influence of microsites and microsite heterogeneity on forest development has not been quantified. We used long-term measurements of a formerly old-growth Tsugu canadensis - Pinus strobus forest severely damaged by a category 3 hurricane in 1938 to quantify the impact of microsite conditions on overstory composition and structure. We asked (i) "What are the patterns in live-tree size, growth, and mortality five and seven decades after disturbance?" and (ii) "What roles do microsite heterogeneity and the presence of disturbance-generated microsites play in long-term forest development following disturbance?" We compared live-tree (>2 cm DBH) development and survival to microsite heterogeneity at the 100 m(2) scale. Microsite diversity was positively related to overstory species diversity and stem density and negatively related to average tree size. We propose that plots with higher microsite diversity may have experienced more severe local disturbance, which allowed more species and individuals to establish and created varied niches that allowed these individuals to coexist and generate greater stand-level diversity. These persistent relationships highlight how microsite conditions affect forest development after severe disturbances.