Data for: Floristic changes following the chestnut blight may be delayed for decades

A survey conducted in the 1920s, prior to the chestnut blight, indicated
that chestnuts and oaks were codominant canopy species in White Oak
Canyon, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. A second survey in 1977
suggested that chestnuts were being replaced by tree species present
before the blight, particularly oaks. In 2021, we resurveyed the 10 sites
included in our 1977 survey and also recorded canopy and understory trees
that grew above remnant chestnut sprouts. The canopy changed more
substantially during the second interval (since 1977). Birch and maples
were now more abundant and species less tolerant of shade were generally
better represented in the canopy. Hemlock declined, and oaks were less
common in the canopy. Chestnut sprouts have become much less common since
1977, presumably as repeated cycles of diebacks have weakened rootstocks.
Those sites where chestnut sprouts have persisted until 2021 differed from
neighboring sites without them. Chestnut sprouts were rare in sites with
birch and hemlock; chestnut has persisted in locations with red oaks in
the canopy and with few other understory competitors. This survey has been
conducted over a longer time interval than previous studies that asked
similar questions and our results suggest that changes to the forest
composition following the loss of the American chestnut may be greater
than previously recognized although the relative contribution of losing
this codominant species is unclear.