Tree seedling composition as a function of site quality indicated by herbaceous species in a sessile oak stand

Abstract

The texture of tree seedling and shrub assemblages was studied in the herb layer of a pure, even-aged sessile oak (Quercus petraea) stand. The three seedling types obtained by cluster analysis differ drastically in the number of oak and hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) seedlings and in the abundance of Rubus and other shrubs. Some differences in site quality were indicated by herbs. Non-floristic descriptors of herbaceous species, such as fidelity to certain coenotaxa (F), temperature (T), water (W) and soil reaction (R) characteristics were also used for classifying the sampling plots. The relation of seedling pattern to site quality was studied by comparing the former with different herb indicator patterns. The sites most abundant in oak seedlings and possessing the least Rubus and other shrubs are those with the most acidophilic species and the least weedy herbs. The study of the health state of the dominant trees showed that these places belong to the best tree-vigor type.