The long-term impact of initial resource availability and seed bank on woody vegetation during early succession on the New Jersey Piedmont

This study revisited old field succession plots established in 1989 at Hutcheson Memorial Forest in Somerset County, New Jersey, to look at the impact of initial resource availability and seed bank on old field succession. A combination of two different types of treatments were used: an abiotic treatment to alter available resources, and a seed treatment to change the starting seed bank. The abiotic treatments used were a light reduction, mulch application, and an elemental sulfur application to reduce nutrient availability. Seed treatments were additions of species characteristic of early, mid, or late succession. Soils from the plots was analyzed for pH and nutrient availability to determine whether any residual effects of the initial treatments still existed after 19 years. The species, density, and diameter at breast height (DBH) of all woody vegetation >2m tall was taken, and the density and species of seedlings