Abstract
Riparian vegetation, which performs many key ecological functions, has been modified or lost at an alarming rate during the past century as a result of human activity. The aims of this study are (a) to investigate the effects of poplar plantations on plant diversity in riparian zones; and (b) to estimate the ecological implications of extending cover by poplar plantations. For this purpose, we assessed species richness, habitat indicator species and functional diversity based on Grime’s C-S-R strategies. We used non-metric multidimensional scaling to examine the role of environmental factors such as soil properties, forest structure and management. Disturbance, in particular the frequency of harrowing, led to a decline in species richness and modified the indicator species and functional diversity by favoring Ruderal (R) species at the expense Stress-Tolerant (S) and Competitor (C) species, which are better suited to riparian forest conditions. Poplar plantations should not be used as surrogates for riparian forests, and minimizing harrowing in poplar plantations promotes vascular plant diversity. Furthermore, reintroduction of herbs, ferns and geophytes with a high conservation value and low seed dispersal capacity is advisable from the sixth year after establishment, once harrowing for weed control has been completed.
Highlights
Riparian zones, which support diverse, dynamic, and complex communities, act as interfaces between terrestrial and aquatic environments [1,2,3]
In the present present study, no differences were found in species richness between native forests and poplar study,plantations, no differences in species richness plantations, whichwere seemsfound to indicate that the gain in between disturbed native habitat forests species and may poplar compensate for theseems loss ofto forest speciesthat in poplar plantations
The study findings indicated that poplar plantations did not include species that are specific to riparian communities and should not be used as surrogates for native forests in relation to vascular plant diversity
Summary
Riparian zones, which support diverse, dynamic, and complex communities, act as interfaces between terrestrial and aquatic environments [1,2,3]. Riparian communities are known to perform many key functions, such as reducing eutrophication, trapping pesticides, stabilizing riverbanks and providing a microclimate that favors high biodiversity [4,5,6]. This type of habitat is important in arid regions, such as the Mediterranean area, because wetlands communities support important ecological processes and are used by wildlife as natural ecological corridors [3]. This has led to the natural vegetation being replaced with crops or forest species, such as poplar, which are more profitable
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