Forest structure and plant diversity in maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) stands in central Spain

L F Osorio,P Zaldivar,V Pando,F Bravo

doi:10.5424/fs/2009183-01071

Abstract

The relationship between forest structure and plant diversity in Mediterranean Maritime pine stands (Pinus pinaster Ait.) in the Iberian Range (Spain) was studied. Forty eight stands were sampled. In each, a circular plot (15 m radius) and a transect (25*1 m2) were established to estimate stand variables and record presence and abundance of vascular species respectively. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA), simple correlations and multiple stepwise linear regressions were used to explore the relationship between plant diversity and forest structure. Correlation between diversity measurements and stand variables is very weak, but significant correlations were found when evaluating each set of variables separately. Presence and cover of some species (for instance, Veronica arvensis L. or Micropyrum tenellum (L.) Link) is correlated with stand variables; however, determination coefficients found in step-by-step regression are not significant.

Highlights

Sustainability is one of the key concepts in forest management since the Rio conference organized by United Nations
A lack of significant correlations among the different structure variables and diversity measurements obtained using canonical analysis means that it is not possible to establish indicators which demonstrate the relationship between stand status and plant diversity
Results obtained corroborate the results already found by Neumann and Starlinger, (2001), who found a low relationship between structure indices and biological diversity, while detecting that structural horizontal diversity indices have the highest correlation with biodiversity

Summary

Introduction

Forest structure drives ecosystem processes and biological diversity (Spies, 1998) and has been proposed as a proxy of biodiversity at stand level (Naumburg and Dewald, 1999). The relationship between forest structure and biodiversity in different ecosystems has been studied over the last decade in different ecosystems (see, for instance, Pitkanen, 1997, Hedman et al, 2000, Miller et al, 2000, Brosofske et al, 2001, Griffis et al, 2001 or Hiroaki et al, 2004). Stand basal area and age affect biodiversity in boreal forests (Pitkanen, 1997). These stand variables can be affected by management, past land-use can impact plant composition (Hedman et al, 2000). There is a lack of this kind of studies focused on Mediterranean forest on a broad scale

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Conclusion