The Influence of Tilia tomentosa Moench on Plant Species Diversity and Composition in Mesophilic Forests of Western Romania–A Potential Tree Species for Warming Forests in Central Europe?

Steffi Heinrichs, Veronika Öder, Adrian Indreica, Erwin Bergmeier, Christoph Leuschner and Helge Walentowski
Additional contact information
Steffi Heinrichs: Faculty of Resource Management, HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Büsgenweg 1a, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
Veronika Öder: Vegetation & Plant Diversity Analysis, Albrecht von Haller Institute, University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 1a, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
Adrian Indreica: Department of Silviculture, Transilvania University of Braşov, Şirul Beethoven 1, 500123 Braşov, Romania
Erwin Bergmeier: Vegetation & Plant Diversity Analysis, Albrecht von Haller Institute, University of Göttingen, Untere Karspüle 1a, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
Christoph Leuschner: Plant Ecology, Albrecht von Haller Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Goettingen, Untere Karspüle 2, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
Helge Walentowski: Faculty of Resource Management, HAWK University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Büsgenweg 1a, 37077 Göttingen, Germany

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 14, 1-23

Abstract: Climate change challenges important native timber species in Central Europe. The introduction of non-native tree species originating from warmer climates is one option to make Central European forests compatible to global warming. This, however, requires an assessment of the species’ growth requirements, and of its impact on biodiversity in its native ranges. Silver lime ( Tilia tomentosa ), a moderately drought-tolerant, thermophilous tree species of South-eastern Europe is considered suitable for the future. Along three elevational transects in western Romania, we assessed the impact of changing climate and local site conditions on the abundance of this tree species and contrasted plant species diversity and composition of lime-dominated forests with mesophytic oak and beech forests. Local site conditions and disturbance histories shaped the distribution pattern of silver lime. When dominant, it reduced plant species diversity within stands due to its dense canopy. For shade-tolerant, mesophytic species, though, lime forests provided an additional habitat and extended their range into warmer environments. Thus, silver lime may have the potential as an admixed tree species forming a transitory meso-thermophilous habitat in the future. At the same time, silver lime may be limited under increasing drought frequency.

Keywords: assisted migration; climate change; non-native tree species; habitat function; lime forests; oak forests; complementarity; gamma diversity; European beech forests; elevational gradient (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/14/7996/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/14/7996/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:14:p:7996-:d:596204

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().