Abstract
Abstract Background and questions How forest vegetation responds to disturbance continues to be a focal point, especially in the context of biodiversity conservation. To investigate the short‐term effects of forest management on understory vegetation, we asked: (a) Are there any plant indicator species associated with different felling intensities? (b) What are the differences in abundance of plant functional types along the disturbance gradient? (c) How do typical forest species respond to silvicultural treatments? Location Dinaric Mountains, Slovenia. Methods At each of three study sites in Illyrian beech forests, nine plots (4,000 m 2 ) were established, comprising a total of 27 plots. Three different felling intensities were implemented at each site, with one third of the plots assigned to each treatment: control, 50% of the growing stock removed and 100% of the growing stock removed. In the centre of each plot, a vegetation survey of vascular plants was done before (in 2012) and two years after (in 2014) felling in a circular sampling area of 400 m 2 . We employed indicator species analysis, and species were grouped into functional types with respect to their traits. Results Understory species composition differed significantly between treatments. Forty‐seven species (out of 251) were significantly associated with the 100% felling intensity. This relatively high number of indicators was due to the post‐disturbance colonization of early‐successional, non‐forest species, coupled with the expansion of pre‐treatment resident species. Only one species was a strong indicator for the 50% felled plots, while three species showed a preference for the unfelled plots. Graminoids, tall perennial forbs, annual/biennial forbs and legumes exhibited the most prominent increase in cover at the 50% and 100% felling intensity. Ferns showed non‐significant changes, whereas woody plants exhibited a decrease in the most intensive treatment. In general, most of the typical forest species responded with increased frequency and/or abundance after felling. Conclusions The post‐treatment taxonomic and functional composition of plant communities exhibited the largest changes in the most intensively felled stands. Overall, in the short term, ecological conditions in canopy gaps were not modified to an extent that would be detrimental to the persistence of typical forest species.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Understory species composition differed significantly among felling treatments.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Understory species composition differed significantly between treatments”
Claim · model-written summary
Forty-seven species were significantly associated with complete felling.
- Taxon
- speciese0
- Treatment
- 100% felling intensitye0
- Outcome
- associated with the 100% felling intensitye0
- Value
- Forty‐seven species (out of 251)e0
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“Forty‐seven species (out of 251) were significantly associated with the 100% felling intensity”
Claim · model-written summary
One species strongly indicated 50% felling.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“Only one species was a strong indicator for the 50% felled plots”
Claim · model-written summary
Three species preferred unfelled plots.
- Taxon
- speciese0
- Treatment
- unfelled plotse0
- Outcome
- preference for the unfelled plotse0
- Value
- three speciese0
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“three species showed a preference for the unfelled plots”
Claim · model-written summary
Graminoids and tall perennial forbs increased cover most prominently under 50% and 100% felling.
- Taxon
- Graminoids, tall perennial forbs, annual/biennial forbs and legumese0
- Treatment
- 50% and 100% felling intensitye0
- Outcome
- covere0
- Direction
- increasee0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Graminoids, tall perennial forbs, annual/biennial forbs and legumes exhibited the most prominent increase in cover at the 50% and 100% felling intensity”
Claim · model-written summary
Fern cover changes were not significant.
- Taxon
- FernsPolypodiopsidae0
- Outcome
- changese0
Not reportedTreatmentComparatorDirection
Verbatim
e0“Ferns showed non‐significant changes”
Claim · model-written summary
Woody plants decreased under the most intensive felling.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“woody plants exhibited a decrease in the most intensive treatment”
Claim · model-written summary
Most typical forest species increased in frequency or abundance after felling.
- Taxon
- typical forest speciese0
- Treatment
- fellinge0
- Outcome
- frequency and/or abundancee0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“most of the typical forest species responded with increased frequency and/or abundance after felling”
Claim · model-written summary
Plant community composition changed most in the most intensively felled stands.
- Taxon
- plant communitiese0
- Treatment
- most intensively felled standse0
- Outcome
- taxonomic and functional compositione0
- Direction
- largest changese0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“The post‐treatment taxonomic and functional composition of plant communities exhibited the largest changes in the most intensively felled stands”
Claim · model-written summary
Short-term gap conditions did not harm persistence of typical forest species.
Verbatim
e0“ecological conditions in canopy gaps were not modified to an extent that would be detrimental to the persistence of typical forest species”