Ecological Research

, Volume 22, Issue 5, pp 713–723 | Cite as

Structure and regeneration patterns of the Juniperus excelsa Bieb. stands in the central part of the Nestos valley in the northeast of Greece, in the context of anthropogenic disturbances and nurse plant facilitation

  • Elias Milios
  • Elias Pipinis
  • Petros Petrou
  • Sofia Akritidou
  • Paulos Smiris
  • Maria Aslanidou
Original Article
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

In order to analyse the structure and regeneration patterns of the Juniperus excelsa Bieb. stands on the slopes of the Nestos valley, 40 sample plots were established and more than 120 J. excelsa trees and seedlings were cut and collected. The main results of this research indicate that stand structure, species mixture, age structure and stand development patterns were strongly determined by the interaction of anthropogenic disturbances such as grazing and illegal cuttings, and the facilitation of adult J. excelsa trees in the establishment of the J. excelsa seedlings. Their effect was influenced by site quality and J. excelsa together with other species ecology. Under present conditions, almost all J. excelsa seedlings, except for a small number of plants, are found under the facilitation of nurse plants that belong to the same species. It seems that the layer of litter underneath the nurse plants combined with the protection of seedlings against grazing play an important role in the establishment and growth of J. excelsa seedlings.

Keywords

Stand development Disturbance Facilitation Juniperus excelsa Bieb. Shade 
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Copyright information

© The Ecological Society of Japan 2006

Authors and Affiliations

  • Elias Milios
    • 1
  • Elias Pipinis
    • 1
  • Petros Petrou
    • 1
  • Sofia Akritidou
    • 2
  • Paulos Smiris
    • 3
  • Maria Aslanidou
    • 3
  1. 1.Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural ResourcesDemocritus University of ThraceOrestiadaGreece
  2. 2.Prefecture of Xanthi, DioikitirioXanthiGreece
  3. 3.Department of Forestry and Natural Environment, Laboratory of SilvicultureAristotle University of ThessalonikiThessalonikiGreece

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