Short-term understory plant community responses to timber-harvesting intensity on non-industrial private forestlands in Pennsylvania

Fredericksen, Todd S.; Ross, Brad D.; Hoffman, Wayne; Morrison, Michael L.; Beyea, Jan; Johnson, Brian P.; Lester, Michael B.; Ross, Eric B.

doi:10.1016/s0378-1127(98)00452-6

Cited by 73 publications

(78 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…We found a trivial change in species composition and cover of the entire understory plant community in the control plots 2 years after clear-cut logging; these findings were consistent with previous studies employing a before-after methodology for the vascular plant community (Fredericksen et al 1999) and for the ground bryophyte community in the uncut quadrats 4 years after forest harvest (Fenton et al 2003). Thus, we corroborated the observations that the ground flora are characterized by a dynamic equilibrium and the community structure displays dynamic fluctuation in old-growth forests (Økland 1994).…”

Section: Short-term Responsessupporting

confidence: 91%

Understory plant assemblages present distinct short-term responses to the clear-cutting of an old-growth spruce forest near an alpine timberline

Liu

Bao

2014

Can. J. For. Res.

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Forest clear-cutting is a prominent disturbance influencing understory plant communities. We implemented a before-after, control-impact (BACI) designed experiment in a high-elevation, old-growth spruce forest in the eastern Tibetan Plateau to understand the response in cover and species richness of the understory plant community and its assemblages, as well as the driving roles of environmental alteration (e.g., radiation, temperature, humidity, and nutrients), physical disturbance (e.g., direct damage by trampling and tree-felling), and interplay effects (e.g., shading or burial from logging residue) during a 2-year period. The decrease in cover for the understory vegetation was predominantly due to a decrease in bryophytes; the grass cover, however, increased. While bryophyte species richness decreased, the total number of understory and vascular plants changed minimally. Furthermore, the environmental alteration drove the increase in grass cover, as well as the cover and species richness decline for bryophytes and its two species groups. It was also found that physical disturbances and interplay effects caused the decrease in cover for bryophytes. The total effects influenced the understory community and bryophytes in terms of cover, but not in terms of species richness. We conclude that the short-term responses of understory vegetation to clear-cutting are distinct across different assemblages due to various mechanisms. Bryophytes are more sensitive than vascular plants, and cover percentage responded more swiftly than species richness to clear-cutting.Key words: understory vegetation, species groups, driving mechanism, physical disturbance, clear-cut logging, Tibetan Plateau.Résumé : La coupe à blanc est une perturbation importante de la forêt qui influence les communautés végétales de sous-bois. Nous avons implanté un dispositif expérimental BACI dans une vieille forêt d'épinette établie en haute altitude sur le plateau tibétain oriental pour comprendre l'impact sur la richesse du couvert et les espèces de la communauté végétale de sous-bois et de ses assemblages de même que les rôles déterminants de l'altération des conditions environnementales (c.-à -d. le rayonnement, la température, l'humidité et les nutriments), des perturbations physiques (c.-à -d. les dommages directs par le piétinement et la coupe des arbres) et des effets d'interaction (c.-à -d. l'ombrage ou l'enfouissement par les résidus forestiers) pendant une période de 2 ans. La diminution du couvert de la végétation de sous-bois a surtout été causée par une diminution des bryophytes. Le couvert herbacé, de son côté, a augmenté. Bien que la richesse en espèces de bryophytes ait diminué, le nombre total de plantes vasculaires et de sous-bois a peu changé. De plus, l'altération des conditions environnementales a entraîné l'augmentation du couvert herbacé et la diminution du couvert et de la richesse en espèces de bryophytes et de ses deux groupes d'espèces. Nous avons aussi observé que les perturbations physiques et que les effets d'i...

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Section: Short-term Responsessupporting

confidence: 91%

Understory plant assemblages present distinct short-term responses to the clear-cutting of an old-growth spruce forest near an alpine timberline

Liu

Bao

2014

Can. J. For. Res.

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“…More detailed studies of the responses to selection harvest of these species, with their particularly high conservation value, are necessary (cf. Fredericksen et al 1999). Species richness of the summer aspect increased with harvest severity (Fig.…”

Section: Species Response To Selection Harvestmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Contrary to the IDH, a monotonic increase of species richness with harvest intensity has been observed (Thomas et al 1999;Zenner et al 2006), lending support to the speciesenergy hypothesis (Rosenzweig 1995). It has frequently been found that a threshold of harvest intensity had to be reached before there was a response in understorey species richness (Fredericksen et al 1999;Kern et al 2006). From these results it might be hypothesized that, compared to unmanaged forests, harvest treatments at the lower end of the harvest intensity gradient may have no signiWcant eVect on species richness because they do not induce pronounced environmental changes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

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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“…Decocq et al (2005) found it also influential on understory composition; many species need a long time for recolonization after harvesting, species diversity decreases by the ageing of a forest, but the ratio of real forest species -geophytes, shade-tolerant and moisture-demanding species increases. The strong effects of forest management intensity and the time elapsed since the last cutting on understory species composition were shown by Fredericksen et al (1999). Contrarily, according to Graae and Heskjaer (1997), the effect of stand age on understory vegetation is not significant in forests between 50 and 150 years.…”

Section: Herbaceous Speciesmentioning

confidence: 96%

The effects of stand characteristics on the understory vegetation inQuercus petraeaandQ. cerrisdominated forests

2013

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Abstract. Different types of forest use significantly changed the structure and species composition of European temperate forests. Herbaceous species and seedlings are important parts of the forest ecosystem, thus it is necessary to understand the effects of stand characteristics on the species composition of the understory. In our study we assessed the main factors that affect the species composition of herb and tree seedling assemblages in Quercus petraea and Q. cerris dominated stands (age 50-150 years) in the Bükk Mountains, Hungary. The relationship between the studied assemblages and explanatory variables (tree species composition, stand structure, canopy closure and topography) were explored by Redundancy Analysis (RDA). The occurrence of herbaceous species was affected by canopy closure, stand structure (mean DBH and DBHcv of trees), topography and the density and diversity of shrub layers. Oak forest species were related to more open stands with sparsely distributed large trees, while mesic forest species were positively related to heterogeneous stand structure, low shrub density, and western exposure. Seedlings of trees and shrubs showed a dispersal limited phenomenon. The composition of seedlings was significantly influenced by the mean DBH of trees, the structural heterogeneity of the overstory, the tree species diversity and the density of shrub layers. However the seedlings of both dominant oak species required the same stand structure, sessile oak was able to regenerate almost exclusively in those stands where it was dominant in the overstory, which is significant for the management of the species. Generally, forest management affects species composition and structure of the overstory, accordingly it had direct and indirect effects on the understory community as well.

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Short-term understory plant community responses to timber-harvesting intensity on non-industrial private forestlands in Pennsylvania

Cited by 73 publications

References 21 publications

Understory plant assemblages present distinct short-term responses to the clear-cutting of an old-growth spruce forest near an alpine timberline

Understory plant assemblages present distinct short-term responses to the clear-cutting of an old-growth spruce forest near an alpine timberline

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

The effects of stand characteristics on the understory vegetation inQuercus petraeaandQ. cerrisdominated forests

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