Plant diversity and soil properties in pristine and managed stands from Bosnian mixed forests

We compared pristine and managed beech–fir mixed forests in Bosnia to assess the impact of management on plant species diversity, vegetation structure and soil–vegetation interaction. Traditionally, management of Bosnian mixed forests has been by the opening of small gaps, similar to those occurring...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Forestry (London) 2005-07, Vol.78 (3), p.297-303
Main Authors: Sebastia, M.T, Casals, P, Vojnikovic, S, Bogunic, F, Beus, V
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abies alba
canopy gaps
carbon
carbon nitrogen ratio
environmental factors
Fagus sylvatica
forest management
forest stands
forest succession
forest trees
forests
microclimate
mixed stands
old-growth forests
plant strata
silvicultural systems
soil properties
soil-plant interactions
species diversity
statistical analysis
understory
vegetation
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Summary:We compared pristine and managed beech–fir mixed forests in Bosnia to assess the impact of management on plant species diversity, vegetation structure and soil–vegetation interaction. Traditionally, management of Bosnian mixed forests has been by the opening of small gaps, similar to those occurring naturally. Species composition revealed three successional vegetation groups, two mainly in managed forests (regenerating and mature) and one mainly in pristine old growth forests. Managed sites showed a tendency to be more diverse in plant species than pristine sites, and were also more heterogeneous. Diversity was clearly explained by vegetation groups; mature managed stands showing the highest plant diversity and regenerating stands the lowest, both in terms of species richness and abundance distributions. Plant diversity decreased with canopy cover and increased with carbon concentration in the Ah horizon, being accurately modelled by both factors. Although topographical conditions were homogeneous among sites, vegetation was very sensitive to small changes in environmental variables at the local scale. Vegetation reflected a combination of past situations, represented by C in the Ah horizon, and current conditions, represented by canopy cover and the C : N ratio in the LF organic layers, suggesting both sensitivity to present-day environmental conditions as well as the imprint of past events.
ISSN:0015-752X
1464-3626
DOI:10.1093/forestry/cpi027