Ecology of Red Maple (Acer Rubrum L.) in a Massachusetts Upland Bog
1966
Moizuk, Georgene A. | Livingston, Robert B.
Red maple, a typical component of wetland communities, develops to maturity in late stages of bog succession, as in the spruce—fur zone, but it never develops beyond the seedling stage on open or shrub—covered portions of the Sphagnum mat. Detailed studies were made of temperature conditions on the open mat and into the spruce—fir of a Massachusetts bog, together with chronological studies of marked red maple seedlings. Seedlings on the Sphagnum mat, where temperatures are low and the frost—free season is very short, were not killed by the late frosts, but survived for 2 years or more. Tests of germination and growth under flooded conditions showed that red maple grows best under conditions of constant flooding. In the flooding studies germination was equally good in both the normal bog medium, living Sphagnum, and spruce—fir humus, but subsequent development of the seedlings was far superior in the humus. Nutritional studies using the Sphagnum medium with nutritional supplements showed that red maple growth in the Sphagnum is limited by deficiencies of N and P. Plants low in K show little, if any, deficiency. It is concluded that the deficiency of N and P limits red maple development on the bog mat. Although seedlings may persist for 2 or move years they ultimately fail for they cannot obtain essential N and P from the sphagnum medium, even though they possess well—developed mycorrhizae.
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