Thirty-three years of plant succession on the Kautz Creek mudflow, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Abstract

Mudflow deposits, when dated, offer an excellent opportunity to examine vegetation and soil development overtime. Vegetation on a 33-year-old mudflow deposit at Mount Rainier National Park, WA, is compared with data collected 4 and 7 years after deposition. Four plant communities are recognized on the mudflow deposit and one is recognized in the adjacent, undisturbed forest. Soil characteristics in each community are compared with soil data collected 8 and 15 years after deposition. Key factors influencing plant succession and soil development on the mudflow deposit are (i) presence of residual standing dead trees and associated organic debris and (ii) proximity of sample stands to adjacent, undisturbed forest. Successional trends and changes in soil characteristics over a 33-year period are discussed.