The role of black locust (Robinia pseudo-acacia) in forest succession. Boring, L. Journal of Ecology, 1984.
The role of black locust (Robinia pseudo-acacia) in forest succession. [pdf]Paper  abstract   bibtex   
Early forest regeneration in Southern Appalachian hardwood forests is dominated by the woody nitrogen-fixing legume, black locust. It is most prevalent on clear-felled areas, abandoned pastures, disturbed roadsides, and historically may have been an important colonizer of burned sites. It commonly reproduces from seed, but sprouting from stumps and roots is the most prevalent means of regeneration with rapid early growth, attaining heights up to 8 m in 3 years. Except for stands on high-nutrient sites, growth decreases after 10-20 years. In less vigorous stands, stem mortality may be high due to attacks by the locust stem borer. The high mortality of black locust is an early successional mechanism that releases codominant species such as Liriodendron, and creates canopy gaps favorable for growth of longer-lived individuals. Patterns of N accretion are similar to those for other woody nitrogen-fixing species with peak N fixation occurring in early to intermediate stages of forest succession, and declining with later successional development.

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