The primary drivers of ecologic dynamism at this old-growth beech-maple forest in Owen County are windthrow events. In the 1980's a team of researchers placed plots in shaded understory locations and in canopy gaps to compare the species composition between the two conditions. In 2026, following the same methodology laid out in this paper, I am collecting data to interpret how recruitment in canopy gaps has changed over the past 40 years. Preliminary results show an increase in invasive species prevalence and a different distribution of a similar suite of species in canopy gaps. Find the 1986 paper here: Comparison of Groundlayer and Shrublayer Communities in Full Canopy and Light Gap Areas of Hoot Woods, Owen County, IndianaÂ
Client: Sycamore Land Trust
Acreage: 81 acres
Location: Owen County, Indiana