Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, Šlechtitelů 27, 78371, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
Department of Zoology, Fisheries, Hydrobiology and Apiculture, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Vegetation Ecology, Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic.
J Environ Manage. 2022 Oct 1;319:115628. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115628. Epub 2022 Jul 3.
The causes of decreasing plant species richness include abandonment of traditional management and the spread of invasive species, even in alpine habitats. Studies on the restoration and management of alpine habitats are predominantly focused on vascular plants, although an important part of alpine vegetation and its diversity is formed by bryophytes. We used bryophytes to indicate changes that occur after the clearcutting of nonindigenous dwarf pine (Pinus mugo Turra) and attempted to reveal the community to which the development of bryophyte species structure was directed. We compared species richness and composition between surveys to test for changes in spatial heterogeneity bryophyte communities. We also tried to reveal the main ecological drivers of the restoration process. The study was performed in the (sub)alpine area of the Eastern High Sudetes Mts. (the Czech Republic). We estimated bryophyte species cover and compared the composition of the bryophyte community in autochthonous grassland areas, areas under the dwarf pine canopy, and clearcut areas to reveal the pattern of shifts 9 years after the treatment. We also measured soil characteristics to reveal the environmental habitat conditions. Evidence of taxonomic homogenization of habitat after dwarf pine removal was found. Light conditions and attributes of litter were the driving factors of successional changes in the bryophyte communities, which led to taxonomic homogenization. This finding explains the slow restoration process due to dwarf pine legacy on the clearcut area. The succession trends were also shaped by unobserved factors, such as climate change and environmental eutrophication. We highly recommended active management and long-term monitoring.
植物物种丰富度下降的原因包括传统管理方式的废弃和入侵物种的传播，即使在高山生境中也是如此。高山生境的恢复和管理研究主要集中在维管植物上，尽管高山植被及其多样性的一个重要组成部分是由苔藓植物形成的。我们使用苔藓植物来指示非本土矮松（Pinus mugo Turra）采伐后发生的变化，并试图揭示苔藓植物物种结构发育所指向的群落。我们比较了两次调查之间的物种丰富度和组成，以检验苔藓植物群落空间异质性的变化。我们还试图揭示恢复过程的主要生态驱动因素。该研究在东苏台德高山地区（捷克共和国）进行。我们估计了苔藓植物的物种覆盖范围，并比较了本地草地、矮松下和采伐区的苔藓植物群落组成，以揭示处理后 9 年的变化模式。我们还测量了土壤特性，以揭示环境栖息地条件。在矮松去除后，栖息地的分类同质化证据被发现。光照条件和凋落物的属性是苔藓植物群落演替变化的驱动因素，导致了分类同质化。这一发现解释了由于采伐区矮松遗留物的存在，导致恢复过程缓慢。演替趋势还受到气候变化和环境富营养化等未观察到的因素的影响。我们强烈建议进行积极的管理和长期监测。
