Managing light and nutrients to restore plant diversity in temperate woodlands

Kód výsledku v IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60460709%3A41330%2F25%3A101925" target="_blank" >RIV/60460709:41330/25:101925 - isvavai.cz</a>

Výsledek na webu

<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111130" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111130</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111130" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111130</a>

Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

Managing light and nutrients to restore plant diversity in temperate woodlands

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

Restoration efforts increasingly focus on light-enhancing treatments to create open forests with high biodiversity. However, climate change and forest eutrophication, driven by atmospheric nutrient deposition and shifts towards tree species with high-quality litter, pose risks such as vegetation ruderalisation and suppression of nutrient-sensitive oligotrophic species. This study presents the first experiment combining canopy opening with litter removal, a strategy potentially reducing nutrient loads, in a species-rich oak-hornbeam forest in Central Europe (Czech Republic). We established a split-plot experiment with two partially thinned plots (30 % canopy openness), comprising 8 paired subplots: one with litter removal and the other as a control. Paired plots were also established in an adjacent closed-canopy forest. Regardless of litter removal, vascular plant richness increased significantly in open-canopy plots by the second year, with the highest richness observed in open-canopy plots with litter removal from the third year onwards. RLQ analysis combining compositional data with species traits revealed a clear effect of canopy opening, while also showing that litter removal in thinned plots favoured oligoand mesotrophic species typical of open habitats, such as thermophilous oak woodlands and dry grasslands. In contrast, nutrient-demanding species characterized by greater plant height were favoured in thinned plots where litter was retained. Litter removal had no significant effect in the closed-canopy forest, suggesting its effectiveness depends on sufficient light availability. Our findings show that combining canopy opening with litter removal can prevent vegetation ruderalisation and support the establishment of target understorey species of open woodlands.

Název v anglickém jazyce

Managing light and nutrients to restore plant diversity in temperate woodlands

Popis výsledku anglicky

Restoration efforts increasingly focus on light-enhancing treatments to create open forests with high biodiversity. However, climate change and forest eutrophication, driven by atmospheric nutrient deposition and shifts towards tree species with high-quality litter, pose risks such as vegetation ruderalisation and suppression of nutrient-sensitive oligotrophic species. This study presents the first experiment combining canopy opening with litter removal, a strategy potentially reducing nutrient loads, in a species-rich oak-hornbeam forest in Central Europe (Czech Republic). We established a split-plot experiment with two partially thinned plots (30 % canopy openness), comprising 8 paired subplots: one with litter removal and the other as a control. Paired plots were also established in an adjacent closed-canopy forest. Regardless of litter removal, vascular plant richness increased significantly in open-canopy plots by the second year, with the highest richness observed in open-canopy plots with litter removal from the third year onwards. RLQ analysis combining compositional data with species traits revealed a clear effect of canopy opening, while also showing that litter removal in thinned plots favoured oligoand mesotrophic species typical of open habitats, such as thermophilous oak woodlands and dry grasslands. In contrast, nutrient-demanding species characterized by greater plant height were favoured in thinned plots where litter was retained. Litter removal had no significant effect in the closed-canopy forest, suggesting its effectiveness depends on sufficient light availability. Our findings show that combining canopy opening with litter removal can prevent vegetation ruderalisation and support the establishment of target understorey species of open woodlands.

Druh

J_imp - Článek v periodiku v databázi Web of Science

CEP obor

—

OECD FORD obor

10618 - Ecology

Projekt

<a href="/cs/project/GA23-07716S" target="_blank" >GA23-07716S: Využití koncepce trade-off a funkčních znaků v moderní teorii druhové koexistence</a><br>

Návaznosti

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Rok uplatnění

2025

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Název periodika

BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION

ISSN

0006-3207

e-ISSN

0006-3207

Svazek periodika

306

Číslo periodika v rámci svazku

JUN 2025

Stát vydavatele periodika

GB - Spojené království Velké Británie a Severního Irska

Počet stran výsledku

12

Strana od-do

—

Kód UT WoS článku

001465238800001

EID výsledku v databázi Scopus

2-s2.0-105001706116