Changes in Ground Cover Layers, Biomass and Diversity of Vascular Plants/Mosses in the Clear-Cuts Followed by Reforested Scots Pine until Maturity Age

Dovilė Gustienė and Iveta Varnagirytė-Kabašinskienė ()
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Dovilė Gustienė: Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Silviculture and Ecology Department, Liepų Str. 1, Kaunas District, 53101 Girionys, Lithuania
Iveta Varnagirytė-Kabašinskienė: Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Silviculture and Ecology Department, Liepų Str. 1, Kaunas District, 53101 Girionys, Lithuania

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 9, 1-17

Abstract: The distribution of Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.) forests, particularly the Vaccinio myrtillo-Pinetum type, is determined by edaphic conditions, and although clear-cutting is used to promote regeneration, it remains controversial. This study evaluated the changes in non-living (forest floor and dead wood) and living (mosses, herbs, and dwarf shrubs) ground cover in clear-cut areas and reforested Scots pine stands. Continuous ground cover studies were conducted in clear-cuts, with samples collected over three years after clear-cutting, while data from 8–80-year-old and mature Scots pine stands were collected using the chronological series method with a consistent methodology in temporary plots. The research has shown that, as ecosystem recovery progresses, similarity to the mature forest increases, and a threshold stand age has been identified, beyond which the ecological changes induced by clear-cutting diminish. The study findings demonstrated that clear-cutting in Pinetum vaccinio-myrtillosum -type forest stands lead to a rapid increase in herb and dwarf shrub cover due to reduced competition for light and nutrients. However, clear-cutting caused a significant decline in forest-specific species and a drastic reduction in forest floor and dead wood mass, with a gradual recovery of moss cover over 10–30 years. These findings highlight the importance of managing clear-cutting practices to balance immediate vegetative responses with long-term ecosystem stability and biodiversity conservation.

Keywords: Pinus sylvestris; clear-cutting; ground vegetation; forest floor; biomass (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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