Abstract
We studied species turnover and changes of ecological conditions and plant strategies on forest gaps created by natural disturbances (sleet, windthrow). We studied five forest gaps and a control plot within in the Dinaric silver fir-beech forest in the southern part of Slovenia. Forest gaps varied in age and size. The total number of recorded species in gaps was 184, with the highest number (106) at the largest forest gap and with the 58 species at the control locality in a juvenile beech forest. Forest gaps were predominantly colonised mostly by species of understory, forest margins, and forest clearings. The species presented in all forest gaps are representatives of the understory of beech forests. Species colonising forest gaps prefer habitats with more sunlight, medium wet to dry soil, and are tolerant to high daily and seasonal temperature fluctuations. In gaps, the community of plant species has a competitive strategy, which is also complemented with a stress-tolerator strategy. We determined that a forest gap represents a significant habitat patch, especially for those plant species which were not present there before.
Highlights
Academic Editors: Lucian Dinca, Forest gaps are areas in a forest stand that have been created by the death of individual or multiple trees [1]
A total of 184 different plant species were recorded in the herb layer together on all localities and a total of 140 species on all sample plots (78 plots of size 3 × 3)
We recorded the largest number of species, which is due to the fact that it is the largest of all gaps and its mosaic structure, which is a result of a natural disturbance, provides many microhabitats for the growth of plant species with different ecological niches [14]
Summary
Academic Editors: Lucian Dinca, Forest gaps are areas in a forest stand that have been created by the death of individual or multiple trees [1]. Depending on the size and gap shape, there are changes in environmental factors [3]. When a forest gap forms, the light availability and precipitation regime change (increased soil moisture) in the gap area [4,5]. Illumination of the forest gap largely depends on the size of the gap and the size of the surrounding tree stand. The amount of light that reaches the floor of the forest gap depends on the latitude at which the gap is located, the slope of the terrain, and its position on the sunny or shady side. Air temperature largely depends on location exposure to sunlight and wind. Higher daily and seasonal fluctuations in air temperatures were shown by Kermavnar et al [5]. A forest gap has higher soil humidity than the forest, as it is directly exposed to precipitation [3].
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