Colonisation by vascular plants after soil disturbance in the Bavarian Forest—key factors and relevance for forest dynamics

Mayer, Philipp; Abs, Clemens; Fischer, Anton

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2003.07.027

Cited by 41 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Rubus idaeus and Chamerion angustifolium were very frequent on all disturbed plots, and according to reports by Mayer et al [47], Rubus idaeus was the most abundant species following soil disturbance. Disturbed soil provides ideal conditions for germination of its seeds and also for the vegetative spread of this shade-intolerant species.…”

Section: Changes In Herb Vegetationsupporting

confidence: 73%

The wind and fire disturbance in Central European mountain spruce forests: the regeneration after four years

et al. 2013

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A strong windstorm in November 2004 resulted in a huge blown-down spruce forest area in the southern part of the Tatra National Park in the Western Carpathians in Slovakia, Central Europe. The aim of this work is to study the vegetation composition of spruce forest at differently managed sites four years after this disturbance. Four study areas were selected for this purpose: (i) an area where the fallen trees were extracted and new seedlings were planted; (ii) an area, which was hit by a forest fire after the extraction; (iii) an area where no active management was applied; (iv) a reference forest unaffected by such disturbance. A total of 100 plots were selected, 25 of each area type. The result of DCA and CCA analyses consistently indicated that after this short period the non-extracted and extracted areas are currently most similar to the reference forest area, while the fire affected area differed. A one-way ANOVA comparing species cover for the different plot sizes indicated some significant differences between the extracted and non-extracted plots. The abundance of certain species commonly occurring in spruce forests, such as Dyopteris carthusiana agg., Vaccinium myrtillus and Avenella flexuosa, correlated weli with the non-extracted plots, compared to the extracted plots. Coverage of these species was lowest on burned plots. The lowest Shannon-Wiener’s diversity values were recorded in burned plots. This was most likely a consequence of mono-dominant competitive species spread, (mainly Chamerion angustifolium) which profited from the altered ecological conditions following the fire. Although some differences were also registered in the Shannon-Wiener diversity index between the remaining research plots, however these were not statistically significant. The most important results of our investigations include the extensive influence of fire disturbance on vegetation. Study revealed that the wind-disturbed area is able to regenerate sufficiently without human intervention

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Section: Changes In Herb Vegetationsupporting

confidence: 73%

The wind and fire disturbance in Central European mountain spruce forests: the regeneration after four years

et al. 2013

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“…Through burrowing or digging for food they add to habitat heterogeneity and reduce interspecific competition, creating opportunities for new plant species to establish successfully and persist (Mayer et al 2004). A shift in community composition often is accompanied by an increase in community diversity and/or biomass (e.g., Boeken et al 1995;Questad and Foster 2007;Wesche et al 2007;Ga´lvez-Bravo et al 2011).…”

Section: Animal Activity Effects On Vegetationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Burrowing by badgers (Meles meles) and foxes (Vulpes vulpes) changes soil conditions and vegetation in a European temperate forest

Kurek

Kapusta

Holeksa

2013

Ecological Research

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This study examined the effects of burrow digging and habitation by the European badger (Meles meles) and the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) on soil properties and the plant community. The vegetation of control plots located in a similar but undisturbed habitat was compared with that of 18 burrow plots established at badger setts (N = 9) and fox dens (N = 9) in a lowland forest area in Poland. Soil physicochemical properties at different disturbance levels (mounds, intermounds and reference areas) were also investigated. The animals altered nutrient availability in the burrow plots considerably by excavating material from deep soil horizons that were less acidic and higher in K, Ca, Mg and available P but poorer in C and N. The effect was stronger for the badger, probably because it displaced larger amounts of material and disturbed wider areas. The activity of the two carnivores induced similar changes in plant communities. They increased herbaceous species richness and caused a shift in the herbaceous species composition: versus the control plots, the burrow plots contained more fugitive species (short-living plants typical for disturbed environments), among which ruderal forbs, including nutrient-demanding species, dominated. The carnivores also increased the species richness of fleshyfruited shrubs and trees. The primary reason for this was probably not burrowing but endozoochorous seed dispersal. Overall, the results indicate that the badger setts and fox dens differ significantly from the forest matrix in terms of soil and vegetation parameters, and that they contribute to habitat heterogeneity and biological diversity.

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“…In particular, the spread of highly competitive shrub or herbaceous species (e.g., Rubus spp., U. dioica, J. eVusus) has been suggested as having a negative eVect on forest species richness and composition in post-harvest stands (Decocq et al 2004). It is well documented in the literature that canopy gap size, but also the extent of soil disturbances, are important factors aVecting richness and cover of early successional and ruderal species (Brunet et al 1996;Mayer et al 2004;von Oheimb et al 2007). In mixed spruce-beech forests of the Bavarian Forest, Mayer et al (2004) found that rapid vegetative growth of the pioneer shrub species R. idaeus was conWned to clear-cuts with very high light levels and that the germination of seeds from the soil seed bank required soil disturbances.…”

Section: Species Response To Selection Harvestmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Due to a persistent seed bank they have been found to be abundant in many studies of the soil diaspore bank in Central European forests (Jensch 2004). The dominant colonization mechanism may therefore be the germination of seeds from the soil seed bank on exposed mineral soil which resulted from tree felling and yarding operations (Jensch 2004;Mayer et al 2004). Considerable changes in the herb layer composition in harvested areas may also result from soil compaction (Brunet et al 1996;Costa and Magnusson 2002).…”

Section: Species Response To Selection Harvestmentioning

confidence: 99%

Selection harvest in temperate deciduous forests: impact on herb layer richness and composition

Oheimb

Härdtle

2008

Biodivers Conserv

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Herb layer richness and composition of four forest types and three diVerent management treatments were investigated in 16 deciduous forest stands of northern Germany. SpeciWcally, we compared the species richness and composition occurring in mature forest stands that were single-tree and group selection harvested to those in unmanaged reference stands. Mean species richness of all herb layer species increased signiWcantly with increasing harvest severity. When analyzing plant groups separately, it became obvious that this overall pattern was not consistent. While a negative relationship was detected between vernal herb richness and harvest severity, group selection harvest signiWcantly increased species richness of summer herbaceous forest species and generalists. Woody species richness was not related to harvest severity. Community composition of the spring aspect was not signiWcantly aVected by selection harvest, whereas herb layer species composition in the summer aspect diVered signiWcantly among the three harvest treatments. A dominance of highly competitive shrub and generalist species was conWned to some parts of the most intensively harvested stands. Overall, our results indicate that the herb layer community was not severely adversely aVected by selection harvest at the intensities used in the studied stands. It is suggested that selection harvest systems may be feasible tools with which to conserve local forest vascular plant diversity and at the same time to meet the demand for timber products. However, information about forest history and the implementation of the selection harvest system are basic requirements when interpreting the results of studies on understorey response to selection harvest.

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Colonisation by vascular plants after soil disturbance in the Bavarian Forest—key factors and relevance for forest dynamics

Cited by 41 publications

References 27 publications

The wind and fire disturbance in Central European mountain spruce forests: the regeneration after four years

The wind and fire disturbance in Central European mountain spruce forests: the regeneration after four years

Burrowing by badgers (Meles meles) and foxes (Vulpes vulpes) changes soil conditions and vegetation in a European temperate forest

Selection harvest in temperate deciduous forests: impact on herb layer richness and composition

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