*
 

iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry

*

Effects of planted European beech on the understory in Scots pine forests of Lithuania

Vitas Marozas (1)   , Algirdas Augustaitis (1), Kestutis Armolaitis (2), Almantas Kliucius (1), Mantas Pilkauskas (1)

iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry, Volume 7, Issue 1, Pages 12-18 (2014)
doi: https://doi.org/10.3832/ifor0695-007
Published: Oct 07, 2013 - Copyright © 2014 SISEF

Research Articles

Collection/Special Issue: IUFRO 7.01.00 - COST Action FP0903, Kaunas (Lithuania - 2012)
Biological Reactions of Forest to Climate Change and Air Pollution
Guest Editors: Elena Paoletti, Andrzej Bytnerowicz, Algirdas Augustaitis


Understanding how the planting of non-native species impacts native vegetation is of most importance for forest management, as introduced species may alter environmental conditions with respect to soil composition, light intensity, and species composition. Here, we compared the stand structure, understory vegetation and site properties of a natural Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stand with Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) as the second tree layer. We recorded saplings and species and their abundance in the understory vegetation, the thicknesses of organic (O) and humus (A) soil layers, soil pH and light indexes in nine Scots pine stands with a second tree layer of beech and in nine control pine stands with a second tree layer of spruce. An ordination method was used to analyze all the data together and ANOVA to determine whether there were differences between stands. We found that species diversity in pine stands with planted beech as the second layer was lower than in pine stands with spruce as the second layer. In pine stands with beech as the second tree layer, shrub, herb and moss cover was significantly lower, and the soil humus layer and organic soil layer were thicker and thinner, respectively. Stand parameters such as mean volume and mean annual increment of the second tree layer were significantly higher in pine stands with planted beech as the second tree layer than in pine stand with spruce as the second tree layer. The mean volume and the mean annual increment of the first tree layer dominated by Scots pine did not differ significantly between stands with planted beech and those with natural spruce. Scots pine stands with a beech second layer had negative effects on understory species richness and abundance. This effect was most likely due to the lower light transmittance and poor physical properties of the forest-floor litter in the Scots pine stands with planted beech.

  Keywords


Non-native Tree Species, Fagus sylvatica, Litter, Pinus sylvestris, Soil, Species Richness, Vegetation, Vertical Structure

Authors’ address

(1)
Vitas Marozas
Algirdas Augustaitis
Almantas Kliucius
Mantas Pilkauskas
Faculty of Forestry and Ecology, Aleksandras Stulginskis University, Studentu 11, Akademija, LT-53361 Kaunas distr. (Lithuania)
(2)
Kestutis Armolaitis
Institute of Forestry, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry (LRCAF), Liepu 1, Girionys, LT-53101 Kaunas distr. (Lithuania)

Corresponding author

 
Vitas Marozas
vitas.marozas@asu.lt

Citation

Marozas V, Augustaitis A, Armolaitis K, Kliucius A, Pilkauskas M (2014). Effects of planted European beech on the understory in Scots pine forests of Lithuania. iForest 7: 12-18. - doi: 10.3832/ifor0695-007

Academic Editor

Renzo Motta

Paper history

Received: Jul 20, 2012
Accepted: May 17, 2013

First online: Oct 07, 2013
Publication Date: Feb 03, 2014
Publication Time: 4.77 months

Breakdown by View Type

(Waiting for server response...)

Article Usage

Total Article Views: 49140
(from publication date up to now)

Breakdown by View Type
HTML Page Views: 41740
Abstract Page Views: 1890
PDF Downloads: 4038
Citation/Reference Downloads: 18
XML Downloads: 1454

Web Metrics
Days since publication: 4052
Overall contacts: 49140
Avg. contacts per week: 84.89

Article Citations

Article citations are based on data periodically collected from the Clarivate Web of Science web site
(last update: Feb 2023)

Total number of cites (since 2014): 6
Average cites per year: 0.55

 

Publication Metrics

by Dimensions ©

Articles citing this article

List of the papers citing this article based on CrossRef Cited-by.

 
(1)
Aubert M, Bureau F, Alard D, Bardat J (2004)
Effect of tree mixture on the humic epipedon and vegetation diversity in managed beech forests (Normandy, France). Canadian Journal of Forest Research 34: 233-248.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(2)
Augustaitis A, Jasineviciene D, Girgždiene R, Kliučius A, Marozas V (2012)
Sensitivity of beech trees to global environmental changes at most North-Eastern latitude of their occurrence in Europe. The Scientific World Journal, Article ID 743926, pp. 12.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(3)
Augusto L, Dupouey JL, Ranger J (2003)
Effects of tree species on understory vegetation and environmental conditions in temperate forests. Annals of Forest Science 60: 823-831.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(4)
Barbier S, Gosselin F, Balandier P (2008)
Influence of tree species on understory vegetation diversity and mechanisms involved - a critical review for temperate and boreal forests. Forest Ecology and Management 254: 1-15.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(5)
Barkman JJ (1992)
Canopies and microclimate of tree species mixtures. In: “The ecology of mixed-species stands of trees” (Cannell MGR, Malcolm DC, Robertson PA eds). Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, UK, pp. 181-188.
Gscholar
(6)
Björkman L, Bradshaw R (1996)
The immigration of Fagus sylvatica L. and Picea abies (L.) Karst. into a natural forest stand in southern Sweden during the last 2000 years. Journal of Biogeography 23: 235-244.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(7)
Bolte A, Hilbrig L, Grundmann B, Kampf F, Brunet J, Roloff A (2010)
Climate change impacts on stand structure and competitive interactions in a southern Swedish spruce-beech forest European Journal of Forest Research 129: 261-276.
Gscholar
(8)
Braun-Blanquet J (1983)
Plant sociology: the study of plant communities (Fuller GD, Conard HS eds). Koeltz Scientific Books, Konigstein, Germany.
Gscholar
(9)
Brunet J, Falkengren-Grerup U, Tyler G (1996)
Herb layer vegetation of south Swedish beech and oak forests-effects of management and soil acidity during one decade. Forest Ecology and Management 88: 259-272.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(10)
Bukantis A (1994)
Lietuvos klimatas [Climate of Lithuania]. Vilnius University Press, Vilnius, Lithuania. [In Lithuanian]
Gscholar
(11)
Deal RL (2007)
Management strategies to increase stand structural diversity and enhance biodiversity in coastal rainforest of Alaska. Biological Conservation 137: 520-532.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(12)
Ellenberg H, Weber HE, Düll R, Wirth V, Werner W, Paulissen D (1992)
Zeigerwerte von Pflanzen in Mitteleuropa. Scripta Geobotanica 18: 1-248.
Gscholar
(13)
Ellsworth J, Harrington R, Fownes J (2004)
Seedling emergence, growth, and allocation of oriental bittersweet: effects of seed input, seed bank, and forest floor litter. Forest Ecology and Management 190: 255-264.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(14)
Estevan H, Lloret F, Vayreda J, Terradas J (2007)
Determinants of woody species richness in Scots pine and beech forests: climate, forest match size and forest structure. Acta Oecologica 31: 325-331.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(15)
Ewald J (2000)
The influence of coniferous canopies on understorey vegetation and soils in mountain forests of the northern Calcareous Alps. Applied Vegetation Science 3:123-134.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(16)
Facelli JM, Pickett STA (1991)
Plant litter: its dynamics and effects on plant community structure. Botanical Review 57:1-32.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(17)
Giesecke T, Hickler T, Kunkel T, Sykes MT, Bradshaw RHW (2007)
Towards an understanding of the Holocene distribution of L. Journal of Biogeography 34: 118-131.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(18)
Gilliam FS (2007)
The ecological significance of the herbaceous layer in temperate forest ecosystems. BioScience 57: 845-858.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(19)
Gracia M, Montané F, Piqué J, Retana J (2007)
Overstory structure and topographic gradients determining diversity and abundance of understory shrub species in temperate forests in central Pyrenees (NE Spain). Forest Ecology and Management 242: 391-397.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(20)
Hagen-Thorn A, Callesen I, Armolaitis K, Nihlgard B (2004)
The impact of six European tree species on the chemistry of mineral topsoil in forest plantations on former agricultural land. Forest Ecology and Management 195: 373-384.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(21)
Harris E, Harris J (1997)
Wildlife conservation in managed woodlands and forests. John Wiley, Chichester, UK.
Gscholar
(22)
Hill MO (1979)
The development of a flora in even-aged plantations. In: “The ecology of even-aged forest plantations” (Ford ED, Malcolm DC, Atterson J eds). Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Cambridge, UK, pp. 175-192.
Gscholar
(23)
Hill MO (1992)
Mixtures as habitats for plants. In: “The ecology of mixed-species stands of trees” (Cannell MGR, Malcolm DC, Robertson PA eds). Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, UK, pp. 301-302.
Gscholar
(24)
Huntley B, Bartlein PJ, Prentice IC (1989)
Climatic control of the distribution and abundance of beech ( L.) in Europe and North America. Journal of Biogeography 16: 551-560.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(25)
IPCC (2007)
Climate Change 2007: The physical science basis. Contribution of working group I to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
Gscholar
(26)
Jankevičiene R (1998)
Dictionary of plant names. Institute of Botany Publisher, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Gscholar
(27)
Jennings SB, Brown ND, Sheil D (1999)
Assessing forest canopies and understorey illumination: canopy closure, canopy cover and other measures. Forestry 72: 59-73.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(28)
Kint V (2005)
Structural development in ageing temperate Scots pine stands. Forest Ecology and Management 214: 237-250.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(29)
Kint V, Geudens G, Mohren GMJ, Lust N (2006)
Sylvicultural interpretation of natural vegetation dynamics in ageing Scots pine stands for their conversion into mixed broadleaved stands. Forest Ecology and Management 223: 363-370.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(30)
Kirby KJ (1988)
Changes in the ground flora under plantations on ancient woodland sites. Forestry 61: 317-338.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(31)
Kwiatkowska AJ (1994)
Changes in the species richness, spatial pattern and species frequency associated with the decline of oak forest. Vegetatio 112: 171-180.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(32)
Lepš J, Šmilauer P (2003)
Multivariate analysis of ecological data using CANOCO. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. pp. 267.
Gscholar
(33)
Leuschner C, Meier IC, Hertel D (2006)
On the niche breadth of Fagus sylvatica: soil nutrient status in 50 Central European beech stands on a broad range of bedrock types. Annals of Forest Science 63: 335-368.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(34)
Lücke K, Schmidt W (1997)
Vegetation und Standortsverhältnisse in Buchen-Fichten-Mischbeständen des Sollings. Forstarchiv 68: 135-143. [in German]
Gscholar
(35)
Marcos E, Calvo L, Marcos JM, Taboada A, Tárrega R (2010)
Tree effects on the chemical topsoil features of oak, beech and pine forests. European Journal of Forest Research 129: 25-30.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(36)
Marcos JA, Marcos E, Taboada A, Tarrega R (2007)
Comparison of community structure and soil characteristics in different aged plantations and a natural pine forest. Forest Ecology and Management 247: 35-42.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(37)
Neirynck J, Mirtcheva S, Sioen G, Lust N (2000)
Impact of Scop., L., L., L. and L. on earthworm biomass and physicochemical properties of a loamy topsoil. Forest Ecology and Management 133: 275-286.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(38)
North M, Oakley B, Fiegener R, Gray A, Barbour M (2005)
Influence of light and soil moisture on Sierrran mixed-conifer understory communities. Plant Ecology 177:13-24.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(39)
Palik B, Engstrom RT (1999)
Species composition. In: “Maintaining biodiversity in forest ecosystems” (Hunter MJ ed). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, pp. 65-94.
Gscholar
(40)
Peterken GF (1996)
Natural woodland ecology and conservation in northern temperate regions. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, pp. 518.
Gscholar
(41)
Skov F (1997)
Stand and neighbourhood parameters as determinants of plant species richness in a managed forest. Journal of Vegetation Science 8: 573-578.
CrossRef | Gscholar
(42)
Straigyte L, Marozas V, Zalkauskas R (2012)
Morphological traits of Red oak (Quercus rubra L.) and ground vegetation in stands different sites and regions in Lithuania. Baltic Forestry 18 (1): 91-99.
Gscholar
(43)
Riepsas E, Straigyte L (2008)
Invasiveness and ecological effects of Red Oak (Quercus rubra L.) in Lithuanian forests. Baltic Forestry 14: 122-130.
Gscholar
(44)
Repšys J (1994)
Miško taksacija Mokslas, Vilnius, Lithuania. [in Lithuanian]
Gscholar
(45)
ter Braak CJF, Šmilauer P (1998)
CANOCO Release 4. Reference manual and user’s guide to Canoco for Windows: Software for Canonical Community ordination. Microcomputer Power, Ithaca, New York, USA.
Gscholar
(46)
von Wuehlisch G (2008)
EUFORGEN technical guidelines for genetic conservation and use for European beech (). Bioversity International, Rome, Italy.
Gscholar
(47)
Webb N (1999)
HemiView user manual - version 2.1. Delta_T Devices Ltd., Cambridge, UK.
Gscholar
 

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. More info