Structure and species diversity of forest vegetation as indicators of forest sustainability
2001
Schmidt, W. | Weckesser, M.
By the means of two examples the possibilities and limits of vertical vegetation structure and plant species diversity as indicators of forests sustainability were shown: 1. Tree species composition and the impact of forest management on structure and diversity of understorey vegetation in mixed beech-spruce forests. 2. The use of unmangaged forest nature reserves as standards for managed forests.The results demonstrated understorey flora and vegetation to be suitable indicators for site conditions, habitat quality, forest dynamics and human impact on forest ecosystems. Forest sustainability cannot be sufficiently indicated by species diversity (number of species), in addition an ecological or nature conservational evaluation is necessary. In general, an increase of species diversity (higher plants) is clearly related to a decrease of naturalness. Furthermore, forest understorey species are not endangered by close-to-nature forest management, in contrast to mosses,lichens or mushrooms living on dead wood. Functional aspects of species diversity are urgently needed to unterstand the sustainable management of forest ecosystems.
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