The tree species matrix, influence on the level of herbivore browsing in mixed forest stands in southwest Sweden

Abstract

Herbivory pressure on a forest stand and each plant individual may be affected by the spatial distribution of conspecific and allospecific plants on the site; whether the plants are standing in solitary or groupwise settings; or by the differences in the preference of plants in relation to each other. The study was conducted in southwest Sweden, where 120 plots (1508 m(2)) were visited and 1280 individual woody plants evaluated and measured. We tested the hypothesis that preferred woody plants can protect unpreferred conspecific and allospecific woody species against herbivory in a system with one dominant, generalist herbivore, the fallow deer (Dama L.), and that the effectiveness of this protection varies depending on the relative preference of the neighboring conspecific and allospecific woody species placed in conspecific groups or standing solitary. Our results support the hypothesis that preferred woody plants can protect unpreferred conspecific and allospecific woody species against herbivory in the case of Picea abies dominating stands.

Keywords

Browsing preference; neighboring vegetation; mixed forest; conspecific groups

Published in

Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research
2017, volume: 32, number: 1, pages: 1-5

SLU Authors

• Kjellander, Petter

  • Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Associated SLU-program

SLU Plant Protection Network

UKÄ Subject classification

Zoology
Forest Science
Ecology

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02827581.2016.1181202

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/79967