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Gap regeneration and replacement patterns in an old-growth Fagus–Abies forest of Bosnia–Herzegovina

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Abstract

We examined the influence of small-scale gap disturbances on stand development and tree species coexistence in an old-growth Fagus sylvatica–Abies alba forest in the Dinaric Mountains of Bosnia–Herzegovina. The structure and composition of tree regeneration in gaps were compared to the forest as a whole, and the influence of gap size on the density and composition of regeneration was assessed. Transition probabilities were also calculated from gapfillers in different life stages to examine canopy replacement patterns. The structure and composition of tree regeneration were similar between gaps and the forest as a whole, and there was no relationship between overall regeneration density and gap size, indicating most individuals established prior to gap formation. Likewise, there was no strong evidence of gap-size partitioning for shade tolerant F. sylvatica and A. alba, although less tolerant Acer pseudoplatanus only recruited to taller life stages in larger gaps. Transition probabilities calculated from the seedling and sapling data suggest that most gaps will be captured by F. sylvatica, while probabilities based on pole-sized gapmakers indicate both A. alba and F. sylvatica will be maintained in the canopy. We suggest that gaps primarily play a role in reorganizing advance regeneration, and that coexistence of shade tolerant F. sylvatica and A. alba is more likely related to their differential ability to tolerate shaded understory conditions, particularly during larger life stages, rather than gap-size partitioning.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the Slovenian Research Agency (ARRS). Miroslav Svoboda received support from the project VaV MZP SP/2d2/111/08. We are grateful to the park administration of Sutjeska National Park for providing access to the Perucica forest reserve. We thank Katrine Hahn Kristensen and Anders Busse Nielsen for help with field sampling, and two anonymous reviewers for providing helpful critiques of an earlier version of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forestry and Renewable Forest Resources, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Vecna Pot 83, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Thomas A. Nagel, Tihomir Rugani & Jurij Diaci

  2. Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 16521, Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic

    Miroslav Svoboda

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  1. Thomas A. Nagel
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Correspondence to Thomas A. Nagel.

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Nagel, T.A., Svoboda, M., Rugani, T. et al. Gap regeneration and replacement patterns in an old-growth Fagus–Abies forest of Bosnia–Herzegovina. Plant Ecol 208, 307–318 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-009-9707-z

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