RT info:eu-repo/semantics/contributionToPeriodical
T1 Effects of overstorey canopy, plant-plant interactions and soil properties on Mediterranean maritime pine seedling dynamics
A1 Rodríguez García, Encarna
A1 Bravo Oviedo, Felipe
A1 Spies, Thomas A.
K1 Pinos-Mediterráneo, Zona del
AB Seedling emergence, survival and early growth of the Mediterranean conifer P. pinaster werestudied under closed canopy and open canopy (gaps) cover conditions in a Mediterraneanforest of central Spain during two consecutive years (March 2008 to January 2010). Our mainobjective was to understand how overstorey structure, shrubs and soil properties influencerecruitment in this species. Natural emergence and seedling survival were significantly betterunder closed canopy cover than under open canopy during the two consecutive years of thestudy; survival increased as radiation decreased. Proximity to shrubs under closed canopycover was associated with lower mortality rates as well as a positive and apparently transitiveeffect on early growth. Amelioration of microclimatic conditions is hypothesized as theprimary facilitation agent of those observed. Younger seedlings established during the springof 2008 experienced higher mortality rates than older seedlings established before 2008, andsoil properties affected seedling survival significantly. Water stress during summer appearedto be the main cause of seedling mortality in both years. Our study suggests that seedlings ofshade-intolerant species may require overstorey cover to establish successfully, and thatpositive plant-plant interactions in forest communities may be more important than expectedin the milder conditions provided by overstorey canopy cover.
PB Elsevier
SN 0378-1127
YR 2011
FD 2011
LK http://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/7659
UL http://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/7659
LA eng
NO Forest Ecology and Management, Volumen 262, Issue 2, pp 244-251
NO Instituto Universitario de Gestión Forestal Sostenible
DS UVaDOC
RD 22-nov-2024