Plant size dependent response of native tree regeneration to landscape and stand variables in loblolly pine plantations in the Atlantic Forest, Argentina

Autor: Juan Francisco Goya, Paula I. Campanello, Marcelo Fabián Arturi, Martin Alcides Pinazo, L.J. Ritter
Rok vydání: 2018
Předmět:
Zdroj: Forest Ecology and Management. 429:457-466
ISSN: 0378-1127
DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2018.07.036
Popis: The interest in the conservation of biodiversity in productive ecosystems has increased considerably in recent years due to the continuing loss of natural vegetation. The effect of forest plantations on biodiversity is currently a relevant research topic since they are expanding worldwide. Native understory vegetation may maintain ecosystem processes and increase the availability of habitats, food and other resources for different animal groups. Native tree regeneration in plantations is affected by the planted species, stand age and density, and silvicultural practices, among others. Despite that some general trends have been identified, results from different studies are not always comparable, partially because not all sources of variation were considered simultaneously, the size of plants is different between studies, no different classes of plant sizes are compared, or the local flora determines specific responses to landscape and stand variables. In this work, we analyzed the relationship between native tree density, species richness and species composition in the understory of forest plantations and stand characteristics including stand age and density, canopy openness, proximity to native forests remnants and pre-planting land use history. The study was conducted in monoculture plantations of Pinus taeda in Misiones Province, Northeastern Argentina. In 35 stands, we estimated plant density and species richness for three plant size classes: seedlings (>50 cm height and
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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