Abstract
Pedunculate and sessile oak species are sympatric. These oaks hybridize with one another, and this process influences the development of undergrowth. The purpose of this study was to determine how different oak species influence the forest regeneration process. For this purpose, the forest was divided into eight transects of 300 m and 100 m widths, distinguished into temporary plots of 10 m in diameter covering the whole territory of the forest. The distribution of oak undergrowth was calculated by four oak height groups, determining the composition of the first storey, covering of underbrush and herbaceous plant, and forest site. We determined that the spread of oak differed depending on the first storey tree species and underbrush. Grass cover was the biggest influence on the sessile oak. The impurity of sessile oak in oak stands had a positive impact on the development of undergrowth, since the entire undergrowth develops faster than separate components of the undergrowth.
Highlights
Forest succession is a slow process and may be interrupted by natural and cultural disturbances in the landscape [1,2,3] For each plant, tree or their group, it can be viewed as a complex biological system component having the specific structure, function and features that interact with the environment to carry out specific functions
Sessile (Quercus petraea) and pedunculate (Q. robur) oaks’ habitat boundaries largely overlap. Since both oak species grow in various climatic conditions, different populations have been created
According to Lithuanian classification, the main forest site type is mesoeutrophic mineral soils of normal moisture (Nm), while the soil according to World Reference Base for Soil Resources was classified as Luvisols [22,23]
Summary
Forest succession is a slow process and may be interrupted by natural and cultural disturbances in the landscape [1,2,3] For each plant, tree or their group, it can be viewed as a complex biological system component having the specific structure, function and features that interact with the environment to carry out specific functions. The undergrowth plays an important role in stands of natural regeneration processes [4]. Sessile (Quercus petraea) and pedunculate (Q. robur) oaks’ habitat boundaries largely overlap. Since both oak species grow in various climatic conditions, different populations have been created. Karazija et al [6] studied natural regeneration of pedunculated oak, but not the interaction of sessile and pedunculate oak and their hybrids in self-reforestation processes of stands. The analysis was limited to correlation analysis of oak undergrowth distribution according to the composition and height of tree species and undergrowth abundance dependence on the first floor stand and underbrush density and herbal canopy correlation. After analysis of the natural regeneration of oak and of some phytocenoze structural elements
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