TABLE OF CONTENTS


 page

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .............. ...............4.....


LIST OF TABLES ................. ...............8.._.._ .....


LIST OF FIGURES .............. ...............9.....


AB S TRAC T ............._. .......... ..............._ 12...


CHAPTER


1 MONITORING LONGLEAF PINE RESTORATION INT COASTAL WET PINE
 FLAT COMMUNITIES ............_...... ._ ...............14....


 Longleaf Pine Ecosystems ............ .......__ ...............14..
 Monitoring Restoration Success ............ .......__ ...............15..
 Monitoring Soil Characteristics ............ .......__ ...............16..
 Developing a Monitoring Program ............ .......__ ...............17.

2 FOREST STRUCTURE AND PLANT SPECIES DIVERSITY IN WET LONGLEAF
 PINE FLAT S ACRO SS A CHRONO SEQUENCE ......____ ..... ... .__ .. ......._......2


 Introducti on ............ ..... .._ ...............21...
 Materials and Methods .............. ...............25....

 Study Sites ............ ..... ._ ...............25....
 Forest Age Classes .............. ...............27....
 Field M easurements............... ..............2
 Data Analysis............... ...............29
 Re sults............... .. .... ..__ _.... .............3
 Overstory Stand Structure .............. ...............30....
 Understory .............. ...............30....
 Discussion ................. ...............3.. 1..............
 Over story ................. .... ....... ...............3.. 1....
 Plant Species Diversity ................. ...............32................
 Conclusions............... ..............3


3 PATTERNS OF SOIL CHEMICAL AND MICROBIAL PROPERTIES ALONG A
 CHRONO SEQUENCE INT WET LONGLEAF PINE FLAT S OF FLORIDA ................... ...45

 Introducti on ............ ..... ._ ...............45....
 Materials and Methods .............. ...............50....

 Study Areas .............. ..... ...............50.
 Soil Sampling and Preparation .............. ...............50....
 Soil Chemical Analysis .............. ...............51....
 Net Nitrogen Mineralization ............_ ..... ..__ ...............51...