Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of the overstory on the diversity of the herb and shrub layers of Anatolian black pine forests

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
European Journal of Forest Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Understory plants are important components of forests because they are responsible for the majority of the vascular plant diversity of forest ecosystems. The richness and composition of understory communities are closely related to the tree layer diversity, structure and composition. The aim of this study was to examine the understory diversity of Anatolian black pine (Pinus nigra Arnold subsp. pallasiana (Lamb.) Holmboe)-dominated forests on the Kazdağı Mountains of West Turkey. To describe the overstory structure and composition in a numerically and quantitatively well-defined manner, cumulative abundance profiles (CAPs) of the tree species were used. The resemblance of the sampling plots was classified into five stand types assessing the CAP through the Fuzzy C-Means clustering method. A permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) was performed to test the variance of the community ecological distance between the five stand types, and the results showed significant differences in these clusters. Many shade-tolerant plants were associated with the mixed stands of Anatolian black pine–Kazdağı fir. The composition of the herb and shrub layer could not be explained by the environmental variables but by differences in the overstory structure of the stands. Pure or nearly pure Anatolian Black pine stands were more diverse than mixed oak–Anatolian black pine and Kazdağı fir–Anatolian black pine stands. However, although dense and young pure Anatolian black pine stands had the most diverse plant species in the shrub layer, they were ranked third in terms of the herb layer diversity. The Anatolian black pine–Kazdağı fir mixed stands had the lowest herb and shrub layer diversity. These results allow us to comprehend the relationship between the overstory structure and composition, and the understory diversity. Understanding this relationship is important for the conservation of understory plant diversity in the management of forest ecosystems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderson MJ, Crist TO, Chase JM, Vellend M, Inouye B, Freestone AL, Sanders NJ, Cornell HV, Comita LS, Davies KF (2011) 9 Navigating the multiple meanings of β diversity: A roadmap for the practicing ecologist. Ecol Lett 14:19–28. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01552.x

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ata C (1989) Silvicultural characteristics of Abies equi-trojani Aschers-Sinten and growth relationships between Pinus nigra Arnold var. pallasiana Endl. and Abies equi-trojani in mixed natural forests of Turkey Forestry. For Int J For Res 62:285–296

    Google Scholar 

  • Augusto L, Dupouey JL, Ranger J (2003) Effects of tree species on understory vegetation and environmental conditions in temperate forests. Ann For Sci 60:823–831. https://doi.org/10.1051/forest:2003077

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barbier S, Gosselin F, Balandier P (2008) Influence of tree species on understory vegetation diversity and mechanisms involved—a critical review for temperate and boreal forests. For Ecol Manag 254:1–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2007.09.038

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barbier S, Chevalier R, Loussot P, Bergès L, Gosselin F (2009) Improving biodiversity indicators of sustainable forest management: tree genus abundance rather than tree genus richness and dominance for understory vegetation in French lowland oak hornbeam forests. For Ecol Manag 258:176–186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2009.09.004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bartels SF, Chen HYH (2013) Interactions between overstorey and understorey vegetation along an overstorey compositional gradient. J Veg Sci 24:543–552. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2012.01479.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beatty SW (1984) Influence of microtopography and canopy species on spatial patterns of forest understory plants. Ecology 65:1406–1419. https://doi.org/10.2307/1939121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berger AL, Puettmann KJ (2000) Overstory composition and stand structure influence herbaceous plant diversity in the mixed aspen forest of northern Minnesota. Am Midl Nat 143:111–125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bergstedt J, Milberg P (2001) The impact of logging intensity on field-layer vegetation in Swedish boreal forests. For Ecol Manag 154:105–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1127(00)00642-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Braun-Blanquet J (1964) Pflanzensoziologie, Grundzüge der Vegetationskunde, 3rd edn. Springer, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Brosofske KD, Chen J, Crow TR (2001) Understory vegetation and site factors: implications for a managed Wisconsin landscape. For Ecol Manag 146:75–87

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bussotti F (2002) Pinus nigra Arnold. In: Pines of Silvicultural Importance. CABI Pubblishing, Wallingford, pp 266–286

    Google Scholar 

  • Carvalho JPF (2011) Composition and structure of natural mixed-oak stands in northern and central Portugal. For Ecol Manag 262:1928–1937. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2011.04.020

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Çengel B, Velioğlu E, Tolun AA, Kaya Z (2000) Pattern and magnitude of genetic diversity in Pinus nigra Arnold subspecies pallasiana populations from Kazdağı: implications for in situ conservation. Silvae Genet 49:249–256

    Google Scholar 

  • Chang L, Zeleny´ D, Li C, Chiu S, Hsieh C (2013) Better environmental data may reverse conclusions about niche-and dispersal-based processes in community assembly. Ecology 94:2145–2151

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Conrad O, Bechtel B, Bock M, Dietrich H, Fischer E, Gerlitz L, Wehberg J, Wichmann V, Böhner J (2015) System for automated geoscientific analyses (SAGA) v. 2.1.4. 475 Geosci Model Dev 8:1991–2007. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-8-1991-2015

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crozier CR, Boerner REJ (1984) Correlations of understory herb distribution patterns with microhabitats under different tree species in a mixed mesophytic forest. Oecologia 62:337–343

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Davis PH (1965) 1985 Flora of Turkey and The East Aegean Islands. vols. I-IX. Edinburg University Press, Edinburg

    Google Scholar 

  • De Cáceres M, Jansen F (2013) Package ‘indicspecies’ version 1.6.7. http:// cran.r-project.org/web/packages/indicspecies/index.html. Accessed 24 Nov 2014

  • De Cáceres M, Legendre P (2009) Associations between species and groups of sites: indices and statistical inference. Ecology 90:3566–3574. https://doi.org/10.1890/08-1823.1

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • De Cáceres M, Font X, Olivia F (2010a) The management of vegetation classifications with fuzzy clustering. J Veg Sci 21:1138–1151. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2010.01211.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Cáceres M, Legendre P, Moretti M (2010b) Improving indicator species analysis by combining groups of sites. Oikos 119:1674–1684. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0706.2010.18334.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Cáceres M, Legendre P, He F (2013) Dissimilarity measurements and the size structure of ecological communities. Methods Ecol Evol 4:1167–1177. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.12116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dufrêne M, Legendre P (1997) Species assemblages and indicator species: the need for a flexible asymmetrical approach. Ecol Monogr 67:345–366. https://doi.org/10.2307/2963459

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ewald J (2000) The partial influence of Norway spruce stands on understorey vegetation in Montane Forests of the Bavarian Alps. Mt Res Dev 20:364–371. https://doi.org/10.1659/0276-4741(2000)020[0364:TPIONS]2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gilliam FS (2007) The ecological significance of the herbaceous layer in temperate forest ecosystems. Bioscience 57:845–858. https://doi.org/10.1641/B571007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gracia M, Montane F, Pique J, Retana J (2007) Overstory structure and topographic gradients determining diversity and abundance of understory shrub species in temperate forests in central Pyrenees. NE Spain). For Ecol Manag 242:391–397. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2007.01.056

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Güner ŞT, Özkan K, Çömez A, Çelik N (2011) İç Anadolu Bölgesi’nde Anadolu Karaçamının (Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana) Verimli Olabileceği Potansiyel Alanların Odunsu Gösterge Türleri (Woody indicator species of probable productive potential areas of Anatolian Black Pine (Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana). In the Inner Anatolia Region Ekoloji 80:51–58

    Google Scholar 

  • Hill MO, Mountford JO, Roy DB, Bunce RGH (1999) Ellenberg’s indicator values for British plants. Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Huntingdon

    Google Scholar 

  • Huo H, Feng Q, Su Y (2014) The Influences of canopy species and topographic variables on understory species diversity and composition in coniferous forests. Sci World J 2014, 252489. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/252489

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kindt R, Coe R (2005) Tree diversity analysis: a manual and software for common statistical methods for ecological and biodiversity studies. World Agroforestry Centre, Nairobi

    Google Scholar 

  • Klinka KH, Chen YH, Wang Q, Montigny LD (1996) Forest canopies and their influence on understory vegetation in early-seral stands on West Vancouver Island. Northwest Sci 70:193–200

    Google Scholar 

  • Légaré S, Bergeron Y, Leduc A, Pare D (2001) Comparison of the understory vegetation in boreal forest types of southwest Quebec. Can J Bot 79:1019–1027. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjb-79-9-1019

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Légaré S, Bergeron Y, Paré D (2002) Influence of forest composition on understory cover in boreal mixedwood forests of western Quebec. Silva Fenn 36:353–366

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Legendre P (2013) Indicator Species: Computation. In: Levin S (ed) Encyclopedia of Biodiversity, 2nd edn. Academic Press, Waltham, pp 264–268

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Legendre L, Legendre P (2012) Numerical ecology. 3rd English edition, Elsevier, Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindenmayer DB, Margules CR, Botkin DB (2000) Indicators of biodiversity for ecologically sustainable forest management. Conserv Biol 14:941–950. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1523-1739.2000.98533.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mölder A, Bernhardt-Römermann M, Schmidt W (2008) Herb-layer diversity in deciduous forests: raised by tree richness or beaten by beech? Forest Ecol Manag 256:272–281. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2008.04.012

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Montes F, Sanchez M, del Rio M, Canelles I (2005) Using historic management records to characterize the effects of management on the structural diversity of forests. For Ecol Manag 207:279–293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2004.10.031

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muller RN (2003) Nutrient relations of the herbaceous layer in deciduous forest ecosystems. In: Gilliam FS, Roberts MR (eds) The herbaceous layer in forests of eastern North America. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 15–37

    Google Scholar 

  • Oksanen J, Blanchet FG, Kindt R, Legendre P, Minchin PR, O’Hara RB, Simpson GL, Solymos P, Stevens MHH, Wagner H (2012) Vegan: community ecology package. R package version 2.0–4. http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=vegan. Accessed 15 Nov 2014

  • Özel N (1999) Kazdağları Orman Vejetasyonu Üzerine Fitososyolojik ve Fitoekolojik Araştırmalar (Phytosociologic and phytoecologic studies on forest vegetation in Kazdağı Mountains -Kazdağları). Ege Ormancılık Araştırma Müdürlüğü Teknik Bülteni, İzmir, Turkey

    Google Scholar 

  • Özhatay N, Özhatay E (2005) Kazdağı. In: Özhatay N, Bayfield A, Atay S (eds) Türkiye’nin 122 Önemli Bitki Alanı (122 Important Plant Areas of Turkey). WWF – TDHKV, İstanbul, pp 73–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Özkan K (2002) Türler arası birlikteliğin interspesifik korelasyon analizi ile ölçümü (The measurement of interspecific association by interspecific correlation analysis). S.D.Ü. Orman Fak. Derg 2:71–78

    Google Scholar 

  • QGIS Development Team (2014) QGIS geographic information system. Open Source Geospatial Foundation Project. http://qgis.osgeo.org. Accessed 10 November 2014

  • R Development Core Team (2014) A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing. Vienna, Austria. http://www.R-project.org. Accessed 10 Nov 2014

  • Rodríguez-Calcerrada J, Nanos N, del Rey MC, López de Heredia U, Escribano R, Gil U (2011) Small-scale variation of vegetation in a mixed forest understorey is partly controlled by the effect of overstorey composition on litter accumulation. J For Res 16:473–483. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10310-010-0237-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saetre P, Saetre LS, Brandtber PO, Lundkvis H, Bengtsson J (1997) Ground vegetation composition and heterogeneity in pure Norway spruce and mixed Norway spruce–birch stands. Can J For Res 27:2034–2042

    Google Scholar 

  • Satıl F, Dirmenci T, Tümen G (2006) Kazdağı Milli Parkının Öncelikli Koruma Alanlarının Sınıflandırılması ve Önemli Bitki Alanları (Classification of Priority Conservation Areas in Kazdağı National Park and Their Important Plants). In: Proceedings of the “Kazdağları II. Ulusal Sempozyumu (National Kazdağı Mountains Symposium), Çanakkale, Türkiye, 391–400

  • Ter Braak CJF (1986) Canonical correspondence analysis: a new eigenvector technique for multivariate direct gradient analysis. Ecology 67:1167–1179

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomsen RP, Svenning JC, Balslev H (2005) Overstorey control of understorey species composition in a near-natural temperate broadleaved forest in Denmark. Plant Ecol 181:113–126. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-005-3996-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van der Maarel E (1979) Transformation of cover-abundance values in phytosociology and its effects on community similaritiy. Vegetatio 39:97–114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vilches B, De Cáceres M, Sánchez-Mata D, Gavián RG (2013) Indicator species of broad-leaved oak forests in the eastern Iberian Peninsula. Ecol Indic 26:44–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2012.10.022

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu M, Sun OJ (2013) Effects of forest patch type and site on herb-layer vegetation in a temperate forest ecosystem. For Ecol Manag 300:14–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2012.12.039

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zaghi D (2008) Management of Natura 2000 Habitats 9530*(Sub)-Mediterranean Pine Forest with Endemic Black Pines. Technical Report, European Commission, Brussels

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Ferdi Akarsu for his help in the field data collection. The manuscript benefitted greatly from reviews by two anonymous referees and The Associate Editor. This study was supported by the Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Istanbul University (Project Number 25242).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forest Engineering, Faculty of Forestry, Istanbul University, 34473, Bahçeköy, Istanbul, Turkey

    O. Y. Yılmaz & Y. F. Akyüz

  2. Ornamental Plants Cultivation Program, Vocational School of Forestry, Faculty of Forestry, Istanbul University, 34473, Bahçeköy, Istanbul, Turkey

    H. Yılmaz

Authors
  1. O. Y. Yılmaz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. H. Yılmaz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Y. F. Akyüz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to H. Yılmaz.

Additional information

Communicated by Lluís Coll.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 17 KB)

Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 16 KB)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yılmaz, O.Y., Yılmaz, H. & Akyüz, Y.F. Effects of the overstory on the diversity of the herb and shrub layers of Anatolian black pine forests. Eur J Forest Res 137, 433–445 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-018-1114-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-018-1114-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation