Journal of Emerging Scholarship

The forest community at Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) provides a unique opportunity to study the natural and anthropogenic factors influencing forest composition. This study explores the effects of slope aspect and slope position on tree density, basal area, and species diversity. Surveys conducted in the summer of 2024 cataloged 249 trees and 24 different species across various slope positions and aspects. Analyses revealed no significant impact of slope aspect on forest metrics, perhaps due to comparable sun exposure on east- and west-facing slopes. However, slope position significantly influenced tree density and diversity, with the forest edge exhibiting higher values compared to the interior. This suggests a greater prevalence of smaller trees and higher species diversity at the edge, likely resulting from increased solar radiation, greater seed dispersal by wind, and presence of non-native species. These findings highlight the influence of edge effects on forest structure. Future research could further investigate how different types of forest edges influence the AACC forest community.