Rhododendron maximum impacts seed bank composition and richness following Tsuga canadensis loss in riparian forests

Southern Appalachian riparian forests have undergone changes in composition and function from invasive pathogens and pests. Castanea dentata mortality in the 1930s from chestnut blight ( Cryphonectria parasitica ) and Tsuga canadensis mortality in the 2000s from the hemlock woolly adelgid ( Adelges tsugae ) have led to the expansion and increased growth of Rhododendron maximum , an evergreen subcanopy shrub. A better understanding of seed bank...