| Name of article: | Vliv příměsi dubu zimního na diverzitu a druhové složení bylinného patra druhotných smrčin ve východních Čechách |
|---|---|
| Number: | 3 |
| Year: | 2015 |
| Author: | Jan Šebesta, Radomír Řepka, Pavla Svobodová |
The species composition of the tree layer can have a large impact on the understorey vegetation in deciduous forests. It is crucial for forest management and environmental protection to study the interaction of the tree and the understorey vegetation, since herb and juvenile tree vegetation contribute significantly to forest ecosystem functioning. In this paper we investigated the effect of sessile oak (Quercus petraea agg.) admixture on the understorey vegetation diversity and composition in the secondary Norway spruce (Picea abies) forests. The vegetation of 40 phytocoenological relevés in a secondary Norway spruce managed forest was compared along the oak admixture gradient. The composition of the understorey layer vegetation in managed pure spruce forests differed from stands enhanced by sessile oak: the pure spruce stands consisted of homogenous vegetation and contained acid-tolerant species such as Avenella flexuosa and Vaccinium myrtillus only. We found that the understorey vegetation of the forest stands enhanced by sessile oak in the canopy appeared to be significantly more diverse than the understorey vegetation of pure Norway spruce stands. Apparently, a higher sessile oak admixture proportion had an effect on factors that influence herb vegetation: soil conditions, higher decomposition rates of leaf litter and transmission of light. Hence, the difference in Ellensberg’s indicator values for soil reaction and nutrients increased along the sessile oak admixture gradient. The herb species composition shifted towards a more nutrient-demanding, humid and mesotrophic vegetation.
