Plant species turnover on forest gaps after natural disturbances in the Dinaric fir beech forests (Omphalodo-Fagetum sylvaticae)

Ravnjak, Blanka (author), Bavcon, Jože (author), Čarni, Andraž (author)

We studied species turnover and changes of ecological conditions and plant strategies on forest gaps created by natural disturbances (sleet, windthrow). We studied five forest gaps and a control plot within in the Dinaric silver fir-beech forest in the southern part of Slovenia. Forest gaps varied in age and size. The total number of recorded species in gaps was 184, with the highest number (106) at the largest forest gap and with the 58 species at the control locality in a juvenile beech forest. Forest gaps were predominantly colonised mostly by species of understory, forest margins, and forest clearings. The species presented in all forest gaps are representatives of the understory of beech forests. Species colonising forest gaps prefer habitats with more sunlight, medium wet to dry soil, and are tolerant to high daily and seasonal temperature fluctuations. In gaps, the community of plant species has a competitive strategy, which is also complemented with a stress-tolerator strategy. We determined that a forest gap represents a significant habitat patch, especially for those plant species which were not present there before.

• Language: English
• Keywords: forest gaps, plant colonisation, community strategy, Dinaric fir-beech forests, Ellenberg values
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: 17 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 14, iss. 3, art. 209
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-135744
• UDC: 630*1
• ISSN on article: 1424-2818
• DOI: 10.3390/d14030209
• COBISS.SI-ID: 100764163
• Publication date in RUL: 30.03.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Diversity
• Shortened title: Diversity
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 1424-2818
• COBISS.SI-ID: 517523737

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 11.03.2022

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: gozdne vrzeli, kolonizacija, rastline, dinarski jelovo-bukovi gozdovi, Ellenbergove indikatorske vrednosti