STEWART A. WARE
Ph.D., Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 1968
B.S., Biology, Millsaps College, Jackson, MS,
1964
Plant Ecology. Distribution and abundance of
plant species, and the physical and biotic factors controlling their
distribution and their role in plant communities.
Specific Areas of Research Interest:
Forest composition in relation to substrate and other variables.
The relative importance of various tree species in plant communities varies
according to the their relative competitive abilities in differing conditions
of stand age, stand disturbance, geological substrate, soil minerals, soil
moisture, direction of exposure, and also depends in part on past geological
and climatic events. Most of the students doing work out of my lab have
looked at differences in forest composition in old (but second growth) stands
in different physiographic and/or climatic regions and attempted to explain
local and regional variations in relative importance of various species in
terms of the effects of the factors mentioned above. See list of publications, presentations at
meetings, and manuscripts in preparation for examples.
Factors controlling geographical range and local
distribution of rare and common species of rock outcrop communities.
In southeastern North America are found several geologically different systems
of scattered flatrock exposures surrounded by forest,
and each system is characterized by sets of endemic or near-endemic plant
species found only on that rock outcrop system or shared with only one other.
Species may be very constant, occurring on most
outcrops of a system, but yet not be abundant on most outcrops. Others plants
may be absent from many outcrops, but abundant where present. Still others may
be both rare in occurrence and few in number where present. Many of the endemic
species have obvious life history and/or physiological adaptations to the
extreme heat and drought of rock outcrops, but it is unclear whether these
adaptations might put them at a disadvantage in other habitats. Most of the
projects done out of my lab on outcrop plants have been experimental studies of
adaptation to substrate type and drought, relative competitive abilities, and
life history adaptations, but some have involved field studies of successional interactions. See list of publications and
presentations at meetings for examples.
Effect of Hurricane Isabel on a maturing hardwood forest in Virginia. Two sets of permanent forest plots were
sampled just before Hurricane Isabel hit Williamsburg
in 2003. Four studies now underway are
dealing with the damage done to these forests and the changes resulting from
the opened up canopy. They are
addressing (a) the effect of tree species, tree size, and topography on tree
damage; (b) the mosaic nature of the intensity of damage to trees; (c) the
invasion of herbaceous plants after the opening of the canopy, and their
changes in density with time; and (d) the response of seeds and seedlings of
woody plants to the opened canopy; and the interaction between ground layer
plant abundance and deer grazing.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS:
Peer Reviewed Articles and Book
Chapters since 1997:
(* = undergraduate; ** = graduate
student)
- Dale, Edward E., Jr., S. Ware, and B. Waitman.* 2007. Ordination and classification of
bottomland forests in the lower Mississippi Alluvial Plain. Castanea
72:105-115.
- Crow*, Susan E., and S. Ware. 2007. Soil type tolerance
in rock outcrop plants: species of non-calcareous substrates. Southwestern Naturalist 51: 120-125.
- Dale, E. E. Jr., and S.
Ware. 2004. Distribution of wetland tree species in relation to
a flooding gradient and backwater versus streamside location in Arkansas, U.S.A.
J. Torrey Botan.
Soc. 131: 177-186.
- Adams, H. S., S. L.
Stephenson, S. Ware, and M. Schnittler.
2003. Forests of the central and southern Appalachians
and eastern Virginia
having beech as a major component. Castanea 68:
222-231.
- Ware, S.
2002. Rock outcrop plant communities ("glades") in the
Ozarks: A synthesis. Southwestern Naturalist 47: 585-597.
- Cazier**,
P. W., and S. Ware. 2001.
Hardwood forest composition in the undissected
lower Coastal Plain in Virginia.
J. Torrey Botan.
Soc. 128: 321-331.
- Elstner*,
P., and S. Ware. 2001. Ice storm damage to Virginia Coastal
Plain forests during the Christmas 1998 ice storm. Virginia J. Sci. 52: 3-11.
- Sahli*,
H. F., and S. Ware 2000. Oviposition
sites and emergence habitats of 13-year periodical cicadas (Brood XIX) in
eastern Virginia.
Virginia J. Sci. 51: 187-194.
- Dale, E. E. Jr., and S.
Ware. 1999. Analysis of oak-hickory-pine forests of Hot
Springs National Park
in the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas. Castanea 64: 163-174.
- Ware, S. 1999. Paleoclimatic causes of altitudinal and geographical
distribution of high elevation woody species in Virginia,
p. 45-57. In: Eckerlin, R. P. (ed.),
Biogeography of the Appalachians. Virginia
Museum of Natural History, Martinsburg,
VA.
- Ware, S. 1998. Upland
hardwood forests of the Southern Blue Ridge
of Virgina: A second look. Virginia
J. Sci. 48: 3-11.
- Cole*, A. M., and S. Ware.
1997. Forest vegetation, edaphic factors,
and successional direction in the central
Piedmont of Virginia. Castanea 62: 100-111.
INVITED AND CONTRIBUTED PAPERS:
Published Abstracts of Talks or Posters
not yet Superceded by Published Articles.
- Carlson-Drexler**,
Kjarstin A., and S. Ware. 2007. Wind disturbance
in a Virginia forest: Damage
assessment and pre-disturbance species reconstruction. Virginia J. Sci.
58: 75. (Abst.)
"Best Student Paper Award"
- Kribel**,
Jacob R. G. and S. Ware.
2003. Establishment of
permanent plots in Matoaka Woods, College of
William and Mary, utilizing the NCVS protocol. Virginia J. Sci. 53: 75. (Abst.)
- Alexander*, Sara, and S.
Ware. 2003. Tree survey of Lee
Park, a second growth forest in Petersburg,
Virginia. Virginia J. Sci.
52: 74. (Abst.)
- Lawrence,
D. M., S. L. Stephenson, H. S. Adams, and S. Ware. 2000. Geography
of montane forests in Virginia.
Virginia J. Sci. 51: 97. (Abst.)
- McDonald**, Leah, and S.
Ware. 2000. Virginia Coastal Plain flora disjunct
from the mountains. ASB Bull. 47: 123. (Abst.)
Manuscripts in Preparation:
- Prengaman*,
Kathryn, J. R. G. Kribel** and S. Ware. Effects of Hurricane Isabel on a
maturing hardwood forest in the Virginia Coastal Plain.
- Toy*, Jennifer, S. A. Ware, and Alexandra E.
Loudon*. Post-hurricane response of herbaceous and woody ground layer vegetation
in a Coastal Plain hardwood forest.
- Kribel**,
J. R. G., S. Ware, and Karyn Kolman.* Rapid change
in the sapling and seedling layers of an otherwise stable hardwood
forest: An effect of deer browsing.
- Quarterman,
E., C. Keever, and S. Ware. Non-concordant
distribution of subcanopy species and saplings of canopy species in
the understory of the Southern Mixed
Hardwood Forest, United States.
- Crone*, E., and S. Ware. A
new, asymmetric transformation of aspect for ecological studies.
AWARDS; EDITORSHIPS; MAJOR OFFICES IN SOCIETIES:
- Thomas Jefferson Medal for
Contributions to Natural Science in Virginia,
2006. Awarded by Virginia
Museum of Natural History.
- ASB Meritorious Teaching
Award, 1987. Awarded by the
Association of Southeastern Biologists
- Editor-in-Chief, JOURNAL OF
THE TORREY BOTANICAL SOCIETY 1993-97.
- Ecology Editor, CASTANEA,
1986-1989.
- Editor, VIRGINIA
JOURNAL OF SCIENCE, 1979-1984.
- Editor, JEFFERSONIA,
1970-1973.
- President, Virginia
Academy of Science, 1988-1989.
- Association of Southeastern
Biologists: Executive Committee, 1991-1994
- Southern Appalachian
Botanical Club: Executive Committee, 1986-1989.
- Virginia
Academy of Science: Executive
Committee, 1987- 1991
College of William
and Mary, Department of Biology
saware@wm.edu