effects of forest patch size and ownership structure on tree stand characteristics in a highly deforested landscape of central Poland

Forest structure is influenced by the origin, history and manner of forest management. All these aspects may affect the occurrence of many forest dwelling organisms. We investigated the simultaneous impact of forest patch size and ownership structure on selected forest characteristics in central Pol...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of forest research 2010-05, Vol.129 (3), p.393-400
Main Authors: Żmihorski, Michał, Chylarecki, Przemysław, Rejt, Łukasz, Mazgajski, Tomasz D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural land
biodiversity
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Deciduous trees
Deforestation
Forest management
Forestry
Forests
Fragmentation
Indigenous species
Introduced species
Life Sciences
NIPF
Original Paper
Plant Ecology
Plant Sciences
Plant species
private forestry
Secondary succession
Species diversity
Trees
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Summary:Forest structure is influenced by the origin, history and manner of forest management. All these aspects may affect the occurrence of many forest dwelling organisms. We investigated the simultaneous impact of forest patch size and ownership structure on selected forest characteristics in central Poland. We sampled stand composition, the DBH of particular tree species, basal area, species number and species diversity in all 32 forest patches found in a farmland-dominated area of 150 km². Forest ownership status was linked to patch size: large patches were state-owned and small ones were private. Ownership status also affected the average DBH and basal area of all tree species pooled, with lower DBH and basal area found in private forests. The share of deciduous trees was negatively affected by forest size, while pine was positively affected, which could suggest that forest management and economic interests may be related to this factor. The share of non-native species was higher in state forests. Our results showed that forest patch size could be associated with its ownership status, which is commonly ignored in research on the relationship between forest size and species occurrence. Historical as well as sociological aspects related to private forests in Poland are also presented.
ISSN:1612-4669
1612-4677
DOI:10.1007/s10342-009-0344-9