A multifaceted approach for beech forest conservation: Environmental drivers of understory plant diversity

Abstract. Canopy gaps, i.e. openings in the forest cover caused by the fall of structural elements, are considered to be important for the maintenance of diversity and for the forest cycle. A gap can be considered as a young forest patch in the forest matrix, composed of interior surrounded by an edge, both enclosed by a perimeter. Much of the attention has been focused on the gap interior. However, at gap edges the spectrum of regeneration opportunities for plants may be larger than in the interior. Although definitions of gap are still discussed, any definition can describe it in an acceptable way, if justified, but defining edges is complicated and appropriate descriptors should be used. A method to determine gap interior and edge, using light as a descriptor, is presented with an example of gaps from a beech forest (Fagus sylvatica) in Belgium. Also, the relevance and implications of gap edges for plant diversity and calculation of forest turnover is discussed.

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The Legacy of the Past Logging: How Forest Structure Affects Different Facets of Understory Plant Diversity in Abandoned Coppice Forests

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d12030109 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 109 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Alessandro Bricca ◽

Stefano Chelli ◽

Roberto Canullo ◽

Maurizio Cutini

Keyword(s):

Forest Structure ◽

Management Practices ◽

Linear Models ◽

Structural Parameters ◽

Lateral Spread ◽

Mountain Areas ◽

Multifaceted Approach ◽

Tree Layer ◽

Understory Plant ◽

Clonal Traits

Predicting how biodiversity affects ecosystem functioning requires a multifaceted approach based on the partitioning of diversity into its taxonomic and functional facets and thus redundancy. Here, we investigated how species richness (S), functional diversity (FD) and functional redundancy (FR) are affected by forest structure. Sixty-eight abandoned coppice-with-standards plots were selected in two mountain areas of the Apennine chain. We performed linear models to quantify the influence of structural parameters on S, FD and FR of clonal traits. Each diversity facet was affected differently by structural parameters, suggesting a complex interweaving of processes that influence the understory layer. Namely, tree layer density influences S, the height of the standards affects the lateral spread and persistence of clonal growth organs, and diameter of standards affects the FD of the number of clonal offspring. Opposite relationships compared to FD was found for the FR, suggesting how clonal traits play a key role in species assemblage. The observation that structural parameters exert opposite impact on FR seems to indicate a counterbalance effect on ecosystem stability. Multifaceted approaches yield a better understanding of relationship between forest structure and understory, and this knowledge can be exploited to formulate indications for more sustainable management practices.

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