Diversity Relations of Upland Forests in the Western Great Lakes Area

Auclair, Allan N. D.; Goff, F. Glenn

doi:10.1086/282742

Cited by 163 publications

(121 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Mészáros et al [66] found that diversity is low under the dense canopy of a forest because a few shade-tolerant dominant species exclude most of the other species. According to Auclair & Goff [67], the diversity of mature dry habitats exceeds that of mature mesic habitats. These suggestions are in good agreement with our field experience: soil of shrubforest patches is much deeper than that of the rock swards, resulting in more moisture and greater nutrient supplies (L. Erdős, unpublished data).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Properties of shrubforest edges: a case study from South Hungary

et al. 2011

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Knowledge on edge properties is important from a conservation perspective. Our study was carried out in the ancient vegetation mosaic of the Villány Mts, South-Hungary. Sampling was conducted along eight transects, each running from a rock sward through a shrubforest patch into another rock sward. Unlike most studies, we identified edge position objectively, using a moving split-window analysis. Five habitat types along each transect were distinguished: north-facing rock sward interior, north-facing edge, shrubforest interior, southfacing edge, and south-facing rock sward interior. In the forty 2 m² plots, a total of 157 species were found. Species richness and Shannondiversity of the edges was higher than those of the shrubforest interiors, but not significantly different from the rock swards. Cover did not differ significantly among habitat types. We found only a few edge-related species. No differences between differently-oriented edges were revealed. Species composition of the edges was influenced mostly by the rock sward matrix. We hypothesize that ecological conditions of the edges resemble those of the rock sward interiors. Thus, sward species can penetrate into shrubforest edges, entailing a similar composition of edges and rock swards, resulting in similar diversities. Edges might be viewed as refugia for valuable plants of rock swards.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Properties of shrubforest edges: a case study from South Hungary

et al. 2011

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“…Other studies have reported relatively high richness and diversity of ground vegetation during the initial stages of succession after timber harvesting, followed by a large decline as more shaded conditions develop (Shafi and Yarranton 1973;Bormann and Likens 1979;Hibbs 1983;Schoonmaker and McKee 1988;Burton 1989;Reiners 1992;Crowell and Freedman 1994;Gilliam et al 1995;Qi and Scarratt 1998;Roberts and Methven 1998). It has been suggested that the highest diversity of trees occurs in intermediate regenerative conditions, as this transitional period contains both early-and later-successional species (Loucks 1970;Auclair and Goff 1971;Pickett 1976;Connell 1978). In the understorey, however, competitive exclusion of intolerant species occurs earlier in succession because of the rapid development of a shading overstorey.…”

Section: Species Richness Density and Diversitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of the Ground Vegetation in Spruce Plantations and Natural Forest in the Greater Fundy Ecosystem, New Brunswick

et al. 2003

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Veinotte, Cam, Bill Freedman, Wolfgang Maass, and Friederike Kirstein. 2003. Comparison of the ground vegetation in spruce plantations and natural forest in the Greater Fundy ecosystem, New Brunswick. Canadian Field-Naturalist 117(4): 531-540.We studied changes in ground vegetation associated with the conversion of natural, mature, mixed-species forest into conifer plantations in southeastern New Brunswick. This was done to determine the degree to which plant-associated biodiversity was affected by this forestry practice. Species of lichens, bryophytes, and vascular plants were examined in a 21-year chronosequence of 12 Black Spruce (Picea mariana) plantations and compared to 8 stands of natural forest of the type replaced. The richness, diversity, and density of species were greatest during younger stages of the plantation sere, with as many as 170 species occurring in a 6-year-old stand. Species occurred in successional stages according to their abilities to: (a) survive disturbances associated with clear-cutting and plantation establishment; (b) regenerate vegetatively; (c) re-establish from a persistent seedbank; (d) invade disturbed habitat by dispersed seeds; and/or (e) tolerate environmental stress imposed by the overtopping canopy during stand development. Multivariate analyses suggested that successional factors had the strongest influence on differences in the ground vegetation among stands of various ages. Gaps in the canopy of reference forest and older plantations provided microsite conditions similar to those of early seral stages, allowing some ruderal species to persist in older stands. Nonindigenous species were almost entirely limited to younger plantations. Some species of natural forest were rare or absent from plantations and may be at risk from the extensive development of these agroforestry habitats in our study region; these included Acer pensylvanicum, Cephaloziella spp., Chiloscyphus spp., Fagus grandifolia, Lepidozia reptans, Nowellia curvifolia, Odontoschisma denudatum, and Viburnum alnifolium

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“…It depends on various factors such as climatic conditions, continentality, soil moisture and fertility, topography, and disturbance (Whittaker 1972(Whittaker , 1977Glenn-Lewin 1977;Peet 1978;Peet et al 1983). From the dynamic point of view alpha diversity also depends on the successional status of the community, and it generally increases towards the equilibrium level at the climax stage (Auclair & Goff 1971;Peet et al 1983). In my study (Itow 1985) of mainland communities of East Asian warm-temperate and subtropical climates, the alpha diversity of evergreen broadleaved forests is correlated with climatic favourableness, but that of insular communities is not.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%