Response of herbaceous plant diversity to reduced structural diversity in maple-dominated (Acer saccharum Marsh.) forests managed for sap extraction

Plantations have been claimed to be "monocultures", or "biological deserts". We investigated these claims in the context of a long-term study on plant diversity within plantations with different indigenous tree species, spacings, and soil types that were compared with 410 native stands. Soil type had no influence on plantation species diversity or abundance, and wider spacing resulted in higher richness, lower woody plant abundance, slightly higher cover of herbaceous plants, and large increases in cryptogam cover. We also found a canopy species × spacing interaction effect, where the impact of increased spacing on understory vegetation was more pronounced in spruce than in pine plantations. The dynamic community interactions among species of feathermoss appear to be in response to the physical impediment from varying amounts of needle rain from the different tree species. High light interception and needle fall were negatively correlated with understory plant diversity, as was lack of structural diversity. This study indicates that through afforestation efforts agricultural lands can be restored to productive forests that can harbour nearly one-half of the plant species found in equivalent natural forests within the same geographic region in as little as 50 years. We recommend applying afforestation using indigenous conifer species as a first step towards rehabilitating conifer forests that have been converted to agriculture and subsequently abandoned.

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Short-Term Effects of Silvicultural Treatments on Microsite Heterogeneity and Plant Diversity in Mature Tennessee Oak-Hickory Forests

Northern Journal of Applied Forestry ◽

10.1093/njaf/23.3.197 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 197-203 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Samuel W. Jackson ◽

Craig A. Harper ◽

David S. Buckley ◽

Bradley F. Miller

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Plant Diversity ◽

Prescribed Burning ◽

Canopy Cover ◽

First Year ◽

Herbaceous Plant ◽

Silvicultural Treatments ◽

Canopy Trees ◽

Microsite Heterogeneity

Abstract Growing emphasis on sustainability has increased the demand for information on effects of forest management on species diversity. We investigated the hypothesis that plant diversity is a function of microsite heterogeneity by documenting plant diversity and heterogeneity in canopy cover, light, and soil moisture produced by four silvicultural treatments during the first growing season following treatment: prescribed burning, wildlife retention cut with prescribed burning, wildlife retention cut, and shelterwood cutting. Treatments and controls were randomly assigned within four relatively undisturbed, 70–90-year-old oak-hickory stands. Heterogeneity in canopy cover and photosynthetically active radiation was greatest after shelterwood cutting, whereas the wildlife retention cut resulted in less removal of canopy trees and a smaller increase in heterogeneity of these factors. The addition of prescribed burning enhanced the effects of the wildlife retention cut. Prescribed burning alone had the least impact on heterogeneity of these factors. Soil moisture variability appeared to be independent of treatments. Shelterwood cutting increased first-year herbaceous plant diversity, and this increase was likely due, in part, to increased heterogeneity in canopy cover, light, and seedbed condition. These first-year results partially support the hypothesis that plant diversity is a function of microsite diversity in these forests. Long-term monitoring is underway.

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Herbaceous Plant Diversity and Identification of Indicator Species in Olive Groves in Central Greece

Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis ◽

10.1080/00103624.2013.741926 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 44 (1-4) ◽

pp. 320-330

Author(s):

Alexandra D. Solomou ◽

Athanassios I. Sfougaris

Keyword(s):

Plant Diversity ◽

Indicator Species ◽

Herbaceous Plant ◽

Central Greece ◽

Olive Groves

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Herbaceous plant diversity and soil physicochemical properties on the regeneration slash of Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica

Acta Ecologica Sinica ◽

10.5846/stxb201610162093 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 37 (24) ◽

Author(s):

吕刚 LÜ Gang ◽

王婷 WANG Ting ◽

李叶鑫 LI Yexin ◽

魏忠平 WEI Zhongping ◽

王凯 WANG Kai

Keyword(s):

Pinus Sylvestris ◽

Physicochemical Properties ◽

Plant Diversity ◽

Herbaceous Plant ◽

Soil Physicochemical Properties

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The marginal cost of structural diversity of mixed uneven-aged hard maple forests

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x02-001 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 32 (4) ◽

pp. 616-628 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Shashi Kant

Keyword(s):

Growth Model ◽

Acer Saccharum ◽

Marginal Cost ◽

Structural Diversity ◽

Shannon Index ◽

Forest Stand ◽

Simpson Index ◽

Southern Ontario ◽

Theoretical Concepts ◽

Size Diversity

Theoretical concepts pertaining to the marginal cost (MC) of the structural diversity of a forest stand are developed. A matrix growth model is estimated for mixed uneven-aged forest stands of hard maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) from southern Ontario. The estimated growth model is used to derive the MC equations for the Shannon and the Simpson indices of total structural diversity (TSD), species diversity (SD), and tree-size diversity (TD). The effects of exclusion and inclusion of the opportunity cost (OC) on the MC of the TSD are compared. The contributions of SD and TD to the MC of the TSD are disaggregated. The MCs of TSD, SD, and TD for the Shannon and the Simpson indices are iso-elastic. The elasticity of the MC of the TSD for the inclusion of OC is greater than the elasticity of MC of the TSD for the exclusion of OC. The elasticities of MC of TSD, SD, and TD for the Shannon index are greater than the elasticities of MC of TSD, SD, and TD, respectively, for the Simpson index. The elasticities of MC of SD are smaller than the elasticities of MC of TD, for both indices. However, these results are specific to the hard maple forests of southern Ontario and cannot be generalized. Some general features of MC equations of structural diversity are discussed.

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