Forest herb layer response to long-term light deficit along a forest developmental series

Plue, Jan; Gils, Bert Van; Schrijver, An De; Peppler‐Lisbach, Cord; Verheyen, Kris; Hermy, Martin

doi:10.1016/j.actao.2013.09.005

Cited by 35 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…It is noteworthy that both direct and mediated effects of overstory stand characteristics impacted changes in herb layer biodiversity patterns. The observed direct effect of decreasing light availability at the forest floor (increasing tree layer cover) resulted in declines in species richness and Shannon diversity, which coincides with recent studies (Decocq et al ., ; Bernhardt‐Römermann et al ., ; Kopecký et al ., ; Plue et al ., ). Persistent shading results in local extinctions by reducing establishment and survival of light‐demanding species (Valverde & Silvertown, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Drivers of temporal changes in temperate forest plant diversity vary across spatial scales

Bernhardt‐Römermann

Baeten

Craven

et al. 2015

Global Change Biology

134

150

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Global biodiversity is affected by numerous environmental drivers. Yet, the extent to which global environmental changes contribute to changes in local diversity is poorly understood. We investigated biodiversity changes in a meta-analysis of 39 resurvey studies in European temperate forests (3988 vegetation records in total, 17-75 years between the two surveys) by assessing the importance of (i) coarse-resolution (i.e., among sites) vs. fine-resolution (i.e., within sites) environmental differences and (ii) changing environmental conditions between surveys. Our results clarify the mechanisms underlying the direction and magnitude of local-scale biodiversity changes. While not detecting any net local diversity loss, we observed considerable among-site variation, partly explained by temporal changes in light availability (a local driver) and density of large herbivores (a regional driver). Furthermore, strong evidence was found that presurvey levels of nitrogen deposition determined subsequent diversity changes. We conclude that models forecasting future biodiversity changes should consider coarse-resolution environmental changes, account for differences in baseline environmental conditions and for local changes in fine-resolution environmental conditions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Drivers of temporal changes in temperate forest plant diversity vary across spatial scales

Bernhardt‐Römermann

Baeten

Craven

et al. 2015

Global Change Biology

134

150

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“…We also expect that prolonged absence of high light conditions e.g. through the implementation of zero management, would lead to loss of species across the forests (Plue et al., ). In sum, changes in species abundance in all these systems, together with species losses and gains, would lead to changes in trait attribute and indicator values.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We also expect that prolonged absence of high light conditions e.g. through the implementation of zero management, would lead to loss of species across the forests (Plue et al, 2013 A priori, our analysis focused on European temperate broadleaved deciduous forests and we therefore excluded plots from North America in the database, and any conifer-dominated plots which were often also associated with broad-scale disturbance between surveys e.g. clearfelling and replanting.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Global environmental change effects on plant community composition trajectories depend upon management legacies

Perring

Bernhardt‐Römermann

Baeten

et al. 2018

Global Change Biology

106

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The contemporary state of functional traits and species richness in plant communities depends on legacy effects of past disturbances. Whether temporal responses of community properties to current environmental changes are altered by such legacies is, however, unknown. We expect global environmental changes to interact with land-use legacies given different community trajectories initiated by prior management, and subsequent responses to altered resources and conditions. We tested this expectation for species richness and functional traits using 1814 survey-resurvey plot pairs of understorey communities from 40 European temperate forest datasets, syntheses of management transitions since the year 1800, and a trait database. We also examined how plant community indicators of resources and conditions changed in response to management legacies and environmental change. Community trajectories were clearly influenced by interactions between management legacies from over 200 years ago and environmental change. Importantly, higher rates of nitrogen deposition led to increased species richness and plant height in forests managed less intensively in 1800 (i.e., high forests), and to decreases in forests with a more intensive historical management in 1800 (i.e., coppiced forests). There was evidence that these declines in community variables in formerly coppiced forests were ameliorated by increased rates of temperature change between surveys. Responses were generally apparent regardless of sites' contemporary management classifications, although sometimes the management transition itself, rather than historic or contemporary management types, better explained understorey responses. Main effects of environmental change were rare, although higher rates of precipitation change increased plant height, accompanied by increases in fertility indicator values. Analysis of indicator values suggested the importance of directly characterising resources and conditions to better understand legacy and environmental change effects. Accounting for legacies of past disturbance can reconcile contradictory literature results and appears crucial to anticipating future responses to global environmental change.

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“…In addition to the above factors, several others are considered to be important for species richness of forest communities. Environmental filtering affects species numbers because the size of regionally available species pools depends on specific environmental factors, such as soil acidity (P€ artel 2002;Schuster & Diekmann 2003), soil moisture content (Graae & Heskjaer 1997;H€ ardtle et al 2003a) and light availability, which is mainly controlled by density and species composition of the tree layer (Barbier et al 2008;Ellenberg & Leuschner 2010;Plue et al 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disentangling the drivers of understorey species richness in eutrophic forest patches

Peppler‐Lisbach

Beyer

Menke

et al. 2014

J Vegetation Science

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Questions: What are the driving factors for the species richness of understorey herbs of isolated forest patches? How can the relative direct and indirect effects of patch area, site quality, habitat isolation and continuity be disentangled? What are the effects on different species groups?Location: Eutrophic hardwood forest patches in northwestern Germany. The isolation of these patches results from extensive agricultural land use and prevailing poor soil conditions in the surrounding landscape. Thus, the patches are embedded within a matrix of both open habitats and species-poor acidic forests. Methods:We surveyed 76 eutrophic forest patches and recorded all understorey herb species. Several measured site variables were divided into soil and structural components, and into variables describing mean site conditions and site heterogeneity. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to determine the direct and indirect effects of patch area, site heterogeneity, mean site conditions, isolation and habitat continuity on species richness of several species groups. Results:The most important factor determining species richness was patch area, which showed the strongest direct effect on eutrophic forest specialist species. Richness of forest matrix species, which also occur in the surrounding forest areas, was not directly influenced by area. Soil heterogeneity as well as structural heterogeneity increased with area, but only soil heterogeneity was relevant for species richness. Soil heterogeneity was more important for forest species in general and stress tolerators than for generalist species, open habitat species, competitors and ruderals. Mean site conditions influenced species richness of generalists, open habitat species, competitors and nutrient-demanding species. Isolation had a (negative) effect only on habitat specialists. Conclusions:The relative effects of driving factors varied considerably between species groups. From our results for eutrophic forest specialists, we conclude that large and well-connected habitat patches are especially important for the successful conservation of the unique and partly endangered flora of eutrophic hardwood forests.

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Forest herb layer response to long-term light deficit along a forest developmental series

Cited by 35 publications

References 30 publications

Drivers of temporal changes in temperate forest plant diversity vary across spatial scales

Drivers of temporal changes in temperate forest plant diversity vary across spatial scales

Global environmental change effects on plant community composition trajectories depend upon management legacies

Disentangling the drivers of understorey species richness in eutrophic forest patches

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