In the research characteristics of plant species colonisation into forest gaps was done and what a forest gaps means for plant species and centipedes as representatives of soil fauna. Five forest gaps in dinaric fir – beech forest in Kočevska region have been studied. On each of forest gaps several phytocenologic listings have been made. Together with data about functional plant features they have been processed in the JUICE 7.0. For the centipede studies, on each of the forest gaps soil samples have been collected. It has been established, that on the newly formed forest gaps species of wood undergrowth prevail.. In the older forest gaps there is higher coverage by species of open areas, with tolerance for day- night and seasonal temperature variations. These are mostly perennials, able of either vegetative or seed/spore reproduction. With centipedes bigger seasonal variations have been established, as well in number of species on individual areas of forest gaps as in density of specimens for the species studied. Species found at forest gaps were mostly those, which in Slovenia are found in different environments. The differences between seasonal density of specimens for the species studied on individual areas of forest gaps and those in the near dense forest imply an existence of migration paths between individual areas and that the majority of species uses forest gaps as transitional zone. For some of theme, where specimens of certain age group were found only on forest gaps, it can be concluded that forest gap represents an important habitat in their development cycle.
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