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Research article1996Peer reviewed

Herb layer vegetation of south Swedish beech and oak forests - Effects of management and soil acidity during one decade

Brunet, Jörg; Falkengren-Grerup, Ursula; Tyler, Germund

Abstract

Effects of forest management and soil acidity on herb layer vegetation were studied after 10 years on 190 permanent plots in south Swedish beech (Fagus sylvatica) and oak (Quercus robur) forests. Species richness generally increased with management intensity, mainly due to establishment of ruderal species from the seed bank. Species richness of the typical forest flora was unaffected by management. Moderate management of oak stands favoured several species which are commonly found in semi-natural pastures. Classification and ordination of the data showed that the main floristic gradient within Swedish beech and oak forest vegetation is related to soil acidity. Species richness of the typical forest flora was strongly positively correlated with soil pH in beech forests, but this correlation was weaker in oak forests. The number of herbaceous plants with a broader habitat range increased with pH only in the oak forest plots. Long term changes in the forest environment, which may affect the vegetation, are the decline of grazing 150-50 years ago and soil acidification mainly caused by atmospheric pollutants during the last 50 years. In the one-decade perspective of this study, however, we did not find a general vend towards a more acid-tolerant flora. Neither could we find a general decrease of pasture species in currently ungrazed oak stands. The results indicate that most typical forest plants are well adapted to and partly depend on occurrence of canopy gaps and soil disturbance. If canopy thinning is followed by periods of canopy closure the characteristic shade tolerant flora of Swedish beech and oak forests may be able to persist as long as soil chemical limits of existence are not exceeded.

Keywords

beech forest; management; oak forest; soil acidity; species diversity; vegetation changes

Published in

Forest Ecology and Management
1996, Volume: 88, number: 3, pages: 259-272
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

    UKÄ Subject classification

    Botany
    Forest Science
    Soil Science

    Publication identifier

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1127(96)03845-5

    Permanent link to this page (URI)

    https://res.slu.se/id/publ/40385