I compared understorey communities under Alnus viridis ssp. crispa (Ait.) Pursh (green alder) and Corylus cornuta Marsh. (beaked hazel) in two boreal jack pine forests. There was no difference in inorganic soil nitrogen, but alder plots had lower species richness at Star Lake and higher evenness in the Sandilands. I incubated chopsticks and litterbags containing natural litter assemblages underneath A. crispa and C. cornuta in the field, and litterbags containing artificial litter mixes in a dark growth chamber. There was no significant difference between treatments for litterbags or chopsticks in the field, nor between mixes with or without alder in the growth chamber.

I compared understorey communities under Alnus viridis ssp. crispa (Ait.) Pursh (green alder) and Corylus cornuta Marsh. (beaked hazel) in two boreal jack pine forests. There was no difference in inorganic soil nitrogen, but alder plots had lower species richness at Star Lake and higher evenness in the Sandilands. I incubated chopsticks and litterbags containing natural litter assemblages underneath A. crispa and C. cornuta in the field, and litterbags containing artificial litter mixes in a dark growth chamber. There was no significant difference between treatments for litterbags or chopsticks in the field, nor between mixes with or without alder in the growth chamber.

Le renouvellement des peuplements forestiers irréguliers est envisagé par la création de trouées, afin d’augmenter localement l’éclairement en sous-bois et favoriser la croissance de la régénération d’arbres.Cependant, cette augmentation de lumière favorise aussi la colonisation des trouées par des espèces herbacées et semi-ligneuses compétitrices pour les ressources. Cette thèse s’est focalisée sur les interactions pour la lumière entre de jeunes pins sylvestres (Pinus sylvestris) et une végétation interférente représentée par la callune( Calluna vulgaris), la molinie (Molinia caerulea) et la fougère (Pteridium aquilinum) dans le sous-bois de peuplements mélangés chêne sessile (Quercus petraea)-pin sylvestre.La lumière est le facteur principal limitant la croissance des semis (hauteur<0,30m) et gaules(0,30m<hauteur<6m) de pin sylvestre. Cependant, alors que les semis supportent un ombrage conséquent, les besoins en lumière augmentent avec la dimension des individus.Le développement des trois espèces interférentes a été quantifié en fonction de l’éclairement. A recouvrement égal, la fougère intercepte plus de lumière que la molinie et la callune. La fougère affecte donc plus négativement la croissance des semis de pin, notamment parce qu’elle est aussi capable de développer un couvert dense même pour de très faibles éclairements. Pour les trois espèces, des facteurs autres que la lumière sont cependant impliqués qui pourraient être des phénomènes d’allélopathie, de compétition souterraine ou d’interférence mécanique. Les différents résultats sont intégrés dans un modèle conceptuel de dynamique forestière (RReShar, Regeneration and Resource Sharing). / Irregular forest stands regeneration is considered using gap creation that provokes a light increase in the understorey. The light increase leads to the recruitment of new trees as well as the potential colonization by competitive herbaceous and shrubby species. This study focused on light interactions between Scots pine (Pinussylvestris) seedlings and saplings and competitive vegetation made up of Calluna vulgaris, Molinia caerulea andPteridium aquilinum growing in mixed sessile oak (Quercus petraea)-Scots pine stands in acidic temperateforests in France.The light was the key limiting factor controlling Scots pine seedling and sapling growth. Seedlings are able totolerate a consequent shading, whereas sapling light requirement increases with their size. The growth of C.vulgaris, M. caerulea and P. aquilinum was measured according to light availability. For a given cover,P. aquilinum intercepted more light than M. caerulea and C. vulgaris. P. aquilinum involved a more pronounceddecrease of pine seedling growth as this species was able to reach high cover even in very shaded conditions. For all the three species, processes like allelopathy, belowground competition or mechanical interference were assumed to also impede with pine seedling growth. All those results were integrated in a conceptual forest dynamics model named RReShar (Resource and Regeneration Sharing).

A Floresta Ombrófila Mista ocupava extensa área da região sul e parte do sudeste do Brasil. A partir do século XX, o aumento da intervenção antrópica colocou o ecossistema na categoria de criticamente ameaçado e a Araucaria angustifolia (Bert.) O. Kuntze, espécie típica deste ecossistema, em perigo de extinção. O presente estudo teve como objetivo descrever e comparar a estrutura da comunidade arbustiva e arbórea em diferentes estratos de Floresta Ombrófila Mista no estado de São Paulo. Para tanto foram realizados inventários fitossociológicos em floresta nativa de araucária no Parque Estadual de Campos do Jordão, no nordeste do estado de São Paulo, e no município de Barra do Chapéu, na região sul do estado. Para a amostragem do estrato superior foram instaladas 50 parcelas de 10x20 m, nas quais foram amostradas todas as árvores com perímetro à altura do peito (PAP) 15 cm. Para a amostragem do estrato inferior foram instaladas, em cada parcela de 10 x 20 m, cinco subparcelas de 1x1 m, onde todos os indivíduos lenhosos (altura 30 cm e PAP<15 cm) foram amostrados. Na floresta de Campos do Jordão o estrato superior apresentou 1.918 indivíduos, distribuídos em 26 famílias, 38 gêneros e 58 espécies (H=3,08 e J=0,73); no estrato inferior foram encontrados 576 indivíduos, pertencentes a 23 famílias, 39 gêneros e 55 espécies (H=3,81 e J=0,84). Em Barra do Chapéu o estrato superior apresentou 1.879 indivíduos, distribuídos em 42 famílias, 81 gêneros e 123 espécies (H=3,81 e J=0,79); no estrato inferior foram encontrados 915 indivíduos, pertencentes a 33 famílias, 50 gêneros e 74 espécies (H=3,44 e J=0,79). Análises multivariadas de classificação e ordenação foram realizadas a fim de investigar as relações florísticas entre os remanescentes de Floresta Ombrófila Mista na região Sul e Sudeste do Brasil. O mesmo método também foi empregado para verificar a influência da Floresta Ombrófila Densa na composição das florestas de araucária paulistas. Notou-se clara distinção entre as florestas de araucária paulistas das áreas inventariadas na região Sul do Brasil. Não houve separação nítida entre áreas de Floresta Ombrófila Densa e Mista no estado de São Paulo presentes na mesma faixa altitudinal. A separação entre as duas formações no Estado de São Paulo é restrita ao critério fisionômico, já que a Araucaria angustifolia destaca-se entre as emergentes apenas na Floresta Ombrófila Mista. / The Ombrophilous Mixed Forest covered an ample area in the South and in part of the Southeast of Brazil. Since the 2Oth century, the increase of anthropic intervention has put the ecosystem in a critically threatened category and the Araucaria angustifolia (Bert.) O. Kuntze, the typical species of this ecosystem, in extinction prone. The goal of the present study was to describe and compare the tree community structure in distinct strata of the Ombrophilous Mixed Forest. We did phytossociological surveys in araucaria forests in the Campos do Jordão state park, Northeast of São Paulo state, and in the district of Barra do Chapéu, South of São Paulo state. To sample the upper stratum, we installed fifty 10x20 m plots, where all trees with perimeter at breast height (PBH) 15 cm were measured. To sample the lower stratum, into each upper stratum plot, were installed five 1x1 m sub-plots, where all the woody individuals from 30 cm high to PBH < 15 cm were sampled. In the Campos do Jordão site, the upper stratum showed 1,918 individuals, distributed in 26 families, 38 genus and 58 species (H=3.08 and J=0.73); in the lower stratum we found 576 individuals, belonging to 23 families, 39 genus and 55 species (H=3.81 and J=0.84). In Barra do Chapéu site, we found in the upper stratum 1,879 individuals, distributed in 42 families, 81 genus and 123 species (H=3.81 and J=0.79); in the lower stratum, we sampled 915 individuals, belonging to 33 families, 50 genus and 74 species (H=3.44 and J=0.79). We did classification and ordination multivariate analysis to assess the floristic relationship between the existent Ombrophilous Mixed Forest remaining in the South and Southeast of Brazil. We did the same analysis to evaluate the influence of Ombrophilous Dense Forest on the composition of araucaria forest in São Paulo state. We found a clearly disjunction between the Brazilian South remaining forests and the Southeast remaining forests. We did not find a clear separation between Ombrophilous Dense and Mixed Forest areas in the same altitudinal ranges, in São Paulo state. The separation between these two formations, in São Paulo state, is restrict to physiognomic criteria, since that Araucaria angustifolia is an important emergent tree only in the Ombrophilous Mixed Forest.

The effect of moderate rates of nitrogen deposition on ground floor vegetation is poorly predicted by uncontrolled surveys or fertilization experiments using high rates of nitrogen (N) addition. We compared the temporal trends of ground floor vegetation in permanent plots with moderate (7–13 kg ha−1 year−1) and lower bulk N deposition (4–6 kg ha−1 year−1) in southern Sweden during 1982–1998. We examined whether trends differed between growth forms (vascular plants and bryophytes) and vegetation types (three types of coniferous forest, deciduous forest, and bog). Trends of site-standardized cover and richness varied among growth forms, vegetation types, and deposition regions. Cover in spruce forests decreased at the same rate with both moderate and low deposition. In pine forests cover decreased faster with moderate deposition and in bogs cover decreased faster with low deposition. Cover of bryophytes in spruce forests increased at the same rate with both moderate and low deposition. In pine forests cover decreased faster with moderate deposition and in bogs and deciduous forests there was a strong non-linear increase with moderate deposition. The trend of number of vascular plants was constant with moderate and decreased with low deposition. We found no trend in the number of bryophyte species. We propose that the decrease of cover and number with low deposition was related to normal ecosystem development (increased shading), suggesting that N deposition maintained or increased the competitiveness of some species in the moderate-deposition region. Deposition had no consistent negative effect on vegetation suggesting that it is less important than normal successional processes.

A Floresta Ombrófila Mista ocupava extensa área da região sul e parte do sudeste do Brasil. A partir do século XX, o aumento da intervenção antrópica colocou o ecossistema na categoria de criticamente ameaçado e a Araucaria angustifolia (Bert.) O. Kuntze, espécie típica deste ecossistema, em perigo de extinção. O presente estudo teve como objetivo descrever e comparar a estrutura da comunidade arbustiva e arbórea em diferentes estratos de Floresta Ombrófila Mista no estado de São Paulo. Para tanto foram realizados inventários fitossociológicos em floresta nativa de araucária no Parque Estadual de Campos do Jordão, no nordeste do estado de São Paulo, e no município de Barra do Chapéu, na região sul do estado. Para a amostragem do estrato superior foram instaladas 50 parcelas de 10x20 m, nas quais foram amostradas todas as árvores com perímetro à altura do peito (PAP) 15 cm. Para a amostragem do estrato inferior foram instaladas, em cada parcela de 10 x 20 m, cinco subparcelas de 1x1 m, onde todos os indivíduos lenhosos (altura 30 cm e PAP<15 cm) foram amostrados. Na floresta de Campos do Jordão o estrato superior apresentou 1.918 indivíduos, distribuídos em 26 famílias, 38 gêneros e 58 espécies (H=3,08 e J=0,73); no estrato inferior foram encontrados 576 indivíduos, pertencentes a 23 famílias, 39 gêneros e 55 espécies (H=3,81 e J=0,84). Em Barra do Chapéu o estrato superior apresentou 1.879 indivíduos, distribuídos em 42 famílias, 81 gêneros e 123 espécies (H=3,81 e J=0,79); no estrato inferior foram encontrados 915 indivíduos, pertencentes a 33 famílias, 50 gêneros e 74 espécies (H=3,44 e J=0,79). Análises multivariadas de classificação e ordenação foram realizadas a fim de investigar as relações florísticas entre os remanescentes de Floresta Ombrófila Mista na região Sul e Sudeste do Brasil. O mesmo método também foi empregado para verificar a influência da Floresta Ombrófila Densa na composição das florestas de araucária paulistas. Notou-se clara distinção entre as florestas de araucária paulistas das áreas inventariadas na região Sul do Brasil. Não houve separação nítida entre áreas de Floresta Ombrófila Densa e Mista no estado de São Paulo presentes na mesma faixa altitudinal. A separação entre as duas formações no Estado de São Paulo é restrita ao critério fisionômico, já que a Araucaria angustifolia destaca-se entre as emergentes apenas na Floresta Ombrófila Mista. / The Ombrophilous Mixed Forest covered an ample area in the South and in part of the Southeast of Brazil. Since the 2Oth century, the increase of anthropic intervention has put the ecosystem in a critically threatened category and the Araucaria angustifolia (Bert.) O. Kuntze, the typical species of this ecosystem, in extinction prone. The goal of the present study was to describe and compare the tree community structure in distinct strata of the Ombrophilous Mixed Forest. We did phytossociological surveys in araucaria forests in the Campos do Jordão state park, Northeast of São Paulo state, and in the district of Barra do Chapéu, South of São Paulo state. To sample the upper stratum, we installed fifty 10x20 m plots, where all trees with perimeter at breast height (PBH) 15 cm were measured. To sample the lower stratum, into each upper stratum plot, were installed five 1x1 m sub-plots, where all the woody individuals from 30 cm high to PBH < 15 cm were sampled. In the Campos do Jordão site, the upper stratum showed 1,918 individuals, distributed in 26 families, 38 genus and 58 species (H=3.08 and J=0.73); in the lower stratum we found 576 individuals, belonging to 23 families, 39 genus and 55 species (H=3.81 and J=0.84). In Barra do Chapéu site, we found in the upper stratum 1,879 individuals, distributed in 42 families, 81 genus and 123 species (H=3.81 and J=0.79); in the lower stratum, we sampled 915 individuals, belonging to 33 families, 50 genus and 74 species (H=3.44 and J=0.79). We did classification and ordination multivariate analysis to assess the floristic relationship between the existent Ombrophilous Mixed Forest remaining in the South and Southeast of Brazil. We did the same analysis to evaluate the influence of Ombrophilous Dense Forest on the composition of araucaria forest in São Paulo state. We found a clearly disjunction between the Brazilian South remaining forests and the Southeast remaining forests. We did not find a clear separation between Ombrophilous Dense and Mixed Forest areas in the same altitudinal ranges, in São Paulo state. The separation between these two formations, in São Paulo state, is restrict to physiognomic criteria, since that Araucaria angustifolia is an important emergent tree only in the Ombrophilous Mixed Forest.

Future climate projections suggest an increase in average temperature as well as a decrease in average winter rainfall across the south-west Australian floristic region (SWAFR). These adverse future climatic conditions will amplify the intensity and frequency of disturbance events such as drought and fire. Mediterranean forests within the SWAFR are prone to drought and fire disturbance and have acquired resilience through the selection of drought and fire tolerable species. However, shifts in the magnitude of these disturbance events could increase the recovery period required for recruitment, causing a shift in forest structure and decreasing the resilience of these ecosystems to future disturbances. In this study, we investigated above-ground biomass (AGB) accumulation of understorey plants at sites within the Northern Jarrah Forest (NJF) that have experienced different degrees of drought and fire intensity. We found that within a disturbance event, sites experiencing either more severe drought and fire intensities on average accumulated substantially more understorey AGB than sites subjected to both low drought and moderate fire intensities. This suggests that understorey species within the SWAFR gain a competitive advantage in high drought and fire severity conditions and are highly tolerant to drought. However, the increase in understorey AGB accumulation also suggests a shift in overall forest structure to more dense, compact, low-ground small stems, which is known to increase fire probability. An increase in fire probability shortens the time period between fire intervals and can detrimentally affect forest recovery, especially in drought conditions. Therefore, these changes may shift ecosystems within the SWAFR to a state of non-equilibrium and reduce resilience to future disturbance events.

The current silvicultural regimes of Pinus radiata plantations in New Zealand with wider initial tree spacings have created the potential for increased growth of understorey vegetation. A consequence of this is that the response of P. radiata to P fertiliser is expected to be more influenced by the interaction between the P fertiliser, the tree and the understorey vegetation than was the case in the past. The objectives of this study were to investigate the influence of different rates of a soluble and a sparingly-soluble P fertiliser (Triple superphosphate and Ben-Geurier phosphate rock) and weed control, and their interactions, on soil P chemistry and the growth and P uptake of 4-5-year-old second-rotation P. radiata on an Allophanic Soil (Kaweka forest) and a Pumice Soil (Kinleith forest). The results showed that the application of P fertilisers had no effect on P. radiata growth at both field trial sites two years after this treatment, although it increased radiata needle P concentration. However, at both sites, the understorey vegetation removal treatment increased tree diameter at breast height and basal area. At the highly P-deficient (Bray-2 P 4 µg g-1) Kaweka forest, the presence of understorey (bracken fern and some manuka) reduced resin-Pi and Olsen P concentrations, but at the moderate P fertility (Bray-2 P 13 µg g-1) Kinleith forest, the understorey (Himalayan honeysuckle, buddleia and some toetoe) increased Bray-2 P, resin-Pi, and Olsen P concentrations. A glasshouse study on P. radiata seedlings was conducted to test the hypothesis that when ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) is grown with P. radiata, it increases radiata needle P concentration, while when broom (Cytisus scoparius L.) is grown with P. radiata, it has no effect. The acid phosphatase activity in the rhizosphere of P. radiata was higher when radiata was grown with broom than that when it was grown with ryegrass. This is consistent with the higher P concentration in needles of radiata grown with broom than that of radiata grown with ryegrass, in the absence of P fertiliser addition. However, when P fertiliser was added (50 and 100 µg P g-1 soil) the needle P concentration of radiata grown with broom was lower than that when radiata was grown with ryegrass.

Dominant understorey species, such as herbs, ferns, palms and shrubs may influence forest tree species diversity and dynamics. Their influence may be through shading the forest floor, thereby affecting regeneration of shade-intolerant species and reducing species diversity, or it may be through competition with seedlings for space and belowground resources, thus modifying or changing the structure of the forest. These effects may be compounded if the life cycle of the understorey species consists of synchronized reproductive and mortality events. This study examines the influence of a dominant understorey species, Isoglossa woodii (Acanthaceae), on regeneration of trees in Indian Ocean subtropical coastal dune forest in southern Africa. The species is a semiwoody herb and has population-wide synchronous reproduction at 4-7 year cycles after which it dies and regenerates from seed. In this thesis I examine three aspects of the ecology of this suppressive herb: (i) the ecological and environmental correlates of the distribution of I. woodii; (ii) the evolutionary advantages of synchronous monocarpy; and (iii) the ecological effects of the extensive cover and putative recruitment window caused by I. woodii on forest tree seedling dynamics and diversity. Isoglossa woodii covered 65–95 % of the understorey, while gaps in this understorey cover occupied the remaining 5–35 % of the area. The spatial distribution of I. woodii was strongly related to tree canopy structure, with the species excluded from sites with dense canopy cover. Woody seedling establishment was inhibited by low light availability ( / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

Darbo tikslas: ištirti savaiminio žėlimo ypatumus pamiškės ir miško gilumoje esančiuose medynuose bei šalia esančioje nedirbamoje žemėje. Darbo objektas: Kauno rajono Dubravų kaime esanti 1,55 ha privati žemės valda, kuri 127 m ruožu ribojasi su Dubravos eksperimentinės – mokomosios urėdijos miškais, bei pamiškės ir miško medynais. Darbo metodai: Atrankiniai tyrimai atlikti Vaišvydavos girininkijos miškuose bei privačios žemės valdoje, vadovaujantis Miško atkūrimo ir įveisimo nuostatais (2008). Pamiškės bei miško medynuose ir žemės valdoje 2009 m. buvo išskirtos laikinos stačiakampės aikštelės (2x5 m). Jų skaičius priklausė nuo medyno ar sklypo ploto. Apskaitos aikštelėse nustatyta savaiminukų rūšys, skaičius, aukštis bei gyvybingumas. Darbo rezultatai: Privati nedirbamos žemės valda nuo Dubravos EMMU miškų užsisėjo Š ir ŠR kryptimi – 80 m atstumu nuo pamiškės ir nedirbamoje žemėje per 5 metus susiformavo geri (virš 5000 vnt/ha) miško žėliniai, išsidėstę netolygiai. Jų rūšinę sudėtį nulemia pamiškės medynų struktūra. Žėlinių kokybė priklauso nuo dirvožemio sąlygų. Bendras savaiminukų kiekis Nd augavietėje 24% didesnis nei Nc. Savaiminis žėlimas miške, miško gilumoje ir nedirbamoje žemėje nėra vienodas. Nedirbamoje žemėje vidutinis savaiminukų tankis – 9030 vnt/ha, pamiškės medynų pomiškio tankis – 2610 vnt/ha, miško gilumoje – 1250 vnt/ha. Žėliniuose geriausia plinta beržas, drebulė ir eglė. / The aim of the work – to investigate self-growth forest peculiarities in the forest edge, the forest in the depth stands and nearby in the abondaned land. Object of the work – private land situated in 1,55 hectares of Kaunas district Dubrava village that 127 m boarders by strip adjacent to the Dubravas Scientific Experimental – forest enterprise and forest edge and forest stands. Methods of the work – selected studies were carried in Vaišvydavos forests district and non use land holdings in accordance with the restoration and establishment of Forest regulations (2008). Temporary accounting lots (2x5m) were created in 2009 year in forest edge of the forest stands and in private land holding. Their number depends on whether the stand of the total area.In the temporary accounting lots damage of the number of natural saplings, the spacies,ascertaining their mean heighand vitality. The results of the work – privately owned tracts of land holding planted from Dubravas EMMU forest in N and NE – 80 metres away from the forest edge and in the privately owned tracts of land during 5 years, were formed strong ( more than 5000 thous. trees/ha) forest natural regeneration located unevently. Their species composition is determined by stand structure forest edge. The natural regeneration quality depends on soil conditions.The total amount of Nd saplings by site are 24% higher than in Nc. Naturally regenerattion of forest, in the depth stand and owned tracts of land are not the same... [to full text]