Darlingtonia Fens of Southwestern Oregon: Environmental Gradients, Community Boundaries, and Disturbance

The Darlingtonia fens of southwestern Oregon are distinct communities that commonly undergo dramatic changes in size and shape in response to a wide array of environmental factors. Since few systems demonstrate such a balance among high water tables, shallow soils, the presence of heavy metals, and limited nutrients, conservation efforts have been made to preserve them. Despite these efforts the communities have become smaller and less diverse over time. By investigating the spatial distributions of soil properties, the physical and ecological characteristics of ecotones, and the vegetation structure of fire-disturbed systems in the context of nutrient cycling and succession, this book provides plant scientists, researchers, and lay readers interested in uniquely-adapted plants a systematic approach to understanding these communities. The analysis sheds light on fire events which may drive ecosystem processes in a trajectory away from normal succession cycles and ultimately decrease overall vigor and viability of endangered plant communities in southern Oregon.