Effect of clear-cutting on the understory vegetation, soil and diversity of litter beetles in scots pine-dominated forest

ABSTRACT

Currently, the aim of modern forest management is not only timber production but also the protection of biodiversity. The initial effects of clear-cut logging on forest understory vegetation, soil and the diversity of litter beetles have been studied. We examined unstudied effects of clear-cutting disturbance on understory vascular plant species abundance, forest soils, and understory vegetation nutrients as well as beetle diversity one year after clear-cutting. Substantial changes in the prominence values and above-ground mass of forest-related vascular plant and moss species were detected. Clear-cuttings resulted in fast appearance of new light-loving plant species. The significant decrease in understory plant biomass influenced the reduction of nutrient pools in clear-cut areas after one year. The clear-cut logging negatively influenced the richness of species and the number of individuals of stenobiontic forest-related beetles in the forest litter. However, forest clear-cuttings were beneficial for eurytopic and open land species.

KEYWORDS:

• Beetles
• forest litter
• nutrients
• soil
• species richness
• understory vegetation

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by grant No. SIT-1/2015 (MEKODINA) from the Research Council of Lithuania.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the The Research Council of Lithuania [No. SIT-1/2015].