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Santi I, Carrari E, De Frenne P, Valerio M, Gasperini C, Cabrucci M, Selvi F. Impact of coppicing on microclimate and understorey vegetation diversity in an ancient Mediterranean oak forest. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 918:170531. [PMID: 38309368 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Coppicing is one of the oldest silvicultural practices and is still widely applied to produce renewable energy from broadleaf forests. However, the consequences on microclimate and understorey vegetation are still poorly understood, especially in Mediterranean oak forests. With the ongoing changes in the climate system and global biodiversity loss, a better understanding of how the forest temperature buffering capacity and below-canopy plant community are impacted by coppicing is crucial. Here we quantify microclimate and understorey vegetation changes in adjacent ancient coppice-with-standards and high forest stands dominated by oaks in Italy, where these systems have been applied for a long time. Air and soil temperatures were recorded for 2.5 years, and nested vegetation plots were used to analyse coppicing effects on species composition, taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity. Coppicing significantly reduced the forest temperature buffering capacity. The mean of the daily maximum temperatures over the entire period was 1.45 °C higher in the coppiced sites, whereas the mean of the daily minimum temperatures was 0.62 °C lower than in the high forest. Coppicing increased understorey species richness by favouring generalist taxa, but significantly decreased the proportion of forest specialists. The understorey community in coppiced forests consisted of more warm-adapted species. Moreover, coppicing also led to a loss of phylogenetic evenness and to shifts in diversity and community weighted mean Leaf Dry Matter content, pointing to habitat filtering and acclimation processes. In sum, we show that coppicing affects microclimate and understory vegetation in a direction that can exacerbate the effects of climate change, negatively affecting the oak forest specialist flora and its phylogenetic evenness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Santi
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, P. le Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, Italy
| | - Elisa Carrari
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, P. le Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, Italy.
| | - Pieter De Frenne
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090 Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Mercedes Valerio
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, P. le Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, Italy; Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Cristina Gasperini
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, P. le Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, Italy
| | - Marco Cabrucci
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, P. le Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, Italy
| | - Federico Selvi
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, P. le Cascine 18, 50144 Florence, Italy
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Kaushik K, Bricca A, Mugnai M, Viciani D, Rudolf K, Somfalvi-Tóth K, Morschhauser T. Effects of a Dominant Species on the Functional Diversity of Coexisting Species in Temperate Deciduous Understorey. PLANTS 2021; 10:plants10112252. [PMID: 34834613 PMCID: PMC8620765 DOI: 10.3390/plants10112252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The herb layer plays a significant role in maintaining forest functions, and its community composition is determined by various abiotic factors and biotic interactions. This study attempted to investigate the interspecific plant–plant biotic interactions using a functional traits approach. Specifically, the effects of a dominant species coverage on the functional diversity of coexisting species in the temperate forest understory were studied. Species coverage and soil moisture data were collected using a 1 m2 quadrat couplet (2 × 1 m2) from six sites alongside a 20 m linear transect encompassing a cover gradient of Allium ursinum in southwest Hungary. Major plant functional dimensions i.e., aboveground, and clonal functional traits were considered. Linear and nonlinear mixed models to quantify the effects of biotic interaction on the functional diversity of every single trait and multiple traits were employed. Both aboveground traits and clonal traits of persistent clonal growth organs responded positively to the A. ursinum L., cover gradient. The coexistence of understory species in the presence of a monodominant species seems to be mainly influenced by aboveground traits as compared to the clonal traits suggesting, a role of niche differentiation. The consistent impact of A. ursinum coverage on coexisting species dynamics highlights a need for similar in-depth studies in various forest settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishan Kaushik
- Institute of Biology, University of Pécs, Ifjúság str. 6, 7624 Pécs, Hungary;
- Correspondence:
| | - Alessandro Bricca
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Via Pontoni 5, 62032 Camerino, Italy;
| | - Michele Mugnai
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy; (M.M.); (D.V.)
| | - Daniele Viciani
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy; (M.M.); (D.V.)
| | - Kinga Rudolf
- Institute of Plant Production Science, Campus of Szent István, University of MATE, 7400 Kaposvár, Hungary;
| | - Katalin Somfalvi-Tóth
- Department of Water Management and Climate Adaption, Institute of Environmental Science, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, 40. S. Guba str, 7400 Kaposvár, Hungary;
| | - Tamás Morschhauser
- Institute of Biology, University of Pécs, Ifjúság str. 6, 7624 Pécs, Hungary;
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