Date of Award
1998
Document Type
Thesis
Publication Status
Version of Record
Submission Date
October 2026
Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]
Austin, Daniel F.
Abstract
The oak hammock within the Flamingo Road ESL in Broward County, Florida has been disturbed by a number of factors. Twenty-one permanent plots were established to characterize the vegetation of the site and to determine the impact of non-natives on diversity and stability of the hammock. Non-native species may reduce species diversity and stability of communities. Point quarter sampling was compared to quadrat sampling. High percentages of non-native species in hammock sampling plots reduced Sorensen index of community similarity values below the 50% minimum used to define intact communities. Hammock plots were placed in the same clade as non-native plots by average linkage cluster analysis. Additional analysis separated the hammock plots from the non-native plots. The percent of non-natives (individuals and species) did not reduce diversity in the hammock. The hammock remains intact despite disturbances and invasions by non-natives.
Extent
93 p.
Recommended Citation
Dehring, Faith Jennifer, "Ecological characterization of a disturbed hardwood forest" (1998). Electronic Theses and Dissertations 1990 - 1999. 1289.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_general_4/1289
Identifier
FADT15573
Comments
Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1998.|Charles E. Schmidt College of Science|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1998.