Need input on Northern Hardwoods disturbance regimes

[Randy Swaty]

I am working on the state and transition model for the Northern Hardwoods Biophysical Settings in New England, and would like confirmation or ideas on how to best capture historic disturbance regimes there.  Here is what I propose:

1. Hurricanes every 400 years (roughly based on Booske et al 2001)

2. Wind every 1,000 years (roughly based on multiple Lorimer et al. papers).  This will be accompanied by text in the description saying that wind events are highly variable in frequency and impacts

3. Fire every 1,000 years (Lorimer and White 2003, Fahey papers) though this is debatable and highly variable.  

4. Mid-severity disturbances such as ice-storms every 1,000 years.

My sideboards will be 3-5% early successional classes.  

Does this make sense?  All comments appreciated!

Randy Swaty