Impacts of soil conditions and light availability on natural regeneration of Norway spruce Picea abies (L.) H. Karst. in low-elevation mountain forests
Abstract • Key message Natural regeneration ofP. abies(L.) H. Karst. may reach high densities in lower mountain elevations. The highest densities were found in sites with moderate light availability, with low pH, and not near the riverbank. However, age-height classes differed in the predicted magnitude of response, but were consistent in response directions. Mosses and understory species typical of coniferous forests were positively correlated with regeneration density. • Context Norway spruce Picea abies (L.) H. Karst. in Central Europe is at risk under climate change scenarios, particularly in mountain regions. Little is known about the impact of environmental factors on the natural rege…
Response of soil mites (Acari, Mesostigmata) to long-term Norway spruce plantation along a mountain stream
During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, coniferous monocultures were introduced, replacing natural broadleaved forests in Central Europe, mainly for economic benefits. In the mountains, Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) H. Karst] was introduced in large areas previously covered with beech forests and also in natural riverside habitat corridors such as river valleys, despite its negative impact on the soil environment by e.g. organic matter accumulation, decrease of soil pH and changes in C/N ratio. We aimed to check how long-term Norway spruce plantations affect species richness and diversity of soil mites along a mountain river in former mixed and broadleaved forests. The study, based…
Natural forest remnants as refugia for bryophyte diversity in a transformed mountain river valley landscape
Riparian forests are among the most threatened ecosystem types worldwide. Their exploitation and replacement by coniferous plantations affects species pools and contributes to loss of biodiversity. We aimed to investigate bryophyte species pools within different habitat types in a transformed mountain river valley. We especially focused on the contribution of habitat types (relative to their proportional cover) to the species pool of the whole area. The study was conducted along the Czerwona Woda river - a model stream in the Stołowe Mountains National Park (SW Poland, study area: 91.2 ha) - and an example of coniferous plantations replacing natural broadleaved forest vegetation. Our study …
Quo Vadis, Orthotrichum pulchellum? A Journey of Epiphytic Moss across the European Continent
Orthotrichum pulchellum is a species of epiphytic moss in which a significant expansion from the oceanic part of Europe to the east of the continent has been observed in the recent two decades. The improvement in air quality in Central and Eastern Europe, but also climate change, probably plays a role in this. This study shows what direction of its spreading we can expect in the future. Ecological niche modeling (ENM) is a widespread method to find out species niches in environmental and geographical space, which allows us to highlight areas that have a higher probability of occurrences of the studied species, based on identifying similar environmental conditions to those already known. We …
Plant communities of the Czerwona Woda River Valley (Stołowe Mountains National Park)
Abstract The Czerwona Woda River is the main watercourse in the Stołowe Mountains National Park and drains the major part of the Stołowe Mts. It was regulated in the past, but its channel has been spontaneously naturalised. Now, managed spruce forests grow along almost the entire length of this small mountain stream. The aims of the present study were to investigate diversity of plant communities connected with the Czerwona Woda stream and to prepare detailed vegetation maps. The results obtained can potentially be a reference for future restoration projects implemented in the Stołowe Mountains National Park. As a result of vegetation mapping, there were distinguished 20 plant communities r…