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Tree seedlings: how do they establish in spontaneously developed forests? A study from a mountainous area in the Czech Republic

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to find out which tree species can establish in spontaneously developed forests (SDFs) on mesic stands and how many tree seedlings are present there. The influence of different factors was examined and an attempt made to find out if there are some general trends true for groups of species typical for different stages of succession or with different types of distribution. All tree seedlings present in 48 permanent plots were counted (100 m2). The following factors were tested: altitude, slope and exposition, distance from the nearest forest, age and species composition of tree layer, species composition of herb layer, light conditions and soil reaction. The species composition was dependent on altitude and soil reaction. There were surprisingly high numbers of seedlings (in average 145 tree seedlings per 100 m2) and species (in average 5) present in SDFs. Not only species common in the area were found, but also uncommon species were present there, although in low numbers. Nonspecific species are the best colonisers of SDFs, and the anemochorous trees are better colonisers than zoochorous ones. The establishment of different tree species is influenced by different factors. The SDFs most probably shift toward forest with a number of species in the tree layer. The dominant species tend to be spruce and maple, but species typical for early stages of succession will be common in these growths.

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Abbreviations

A a :

Average age of trees

A d :

Average age of the dominant tree species

A max :

Maximal age of the tree

DBH:

Diameter at breast height (120 cm)

G :

Grasslandness, index corresponding to the number of typical grassland species

G w :

Weighted grasslandness, index corresponding to the abundance of typical grassland species

H SSW :

Heat to south–south–west [H SSW = cos(exposition, 202.5°) × tg (slope)]

H SW :

Heat to south–west [H SW = cos (exposition − 225°) × tg (slope)]

PhAR:

Photosynthetically active radiation

SDFs:

Spontaneously developed forests

W :

Woodlandness, index corresponding to the number of typical woodland species

W w :

Weighted woodlandness, index corresponding to the abundance of typical woodland species

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Acknowledgments

I am grateful to Anna Faltynkova and Zdenek Fric for their advice and suggestions for the manuscript. The research reported in this paper was supported by grant no. 1159/2004 of the Ministry of Education of the Czech Republic. This support is hereby gratefully acknowledged.

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  1. Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, 370 05, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic

    Alena Dostalova

  2. Purkynova 1010/31, 370 01, Plzen, Czech Republic

    Alena Dostalova

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Dostalova, A. Tree seedlings: how do they establish in spontaneously developed forests? A study from a mountainous area in the Czech Republic. Biodivers Conserv 18, 1671–1684 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-008-9549-3

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