Kai Vellak , Jaanus Paal, Jaan Liira

Diversity and distribution pattern of bryophytes and vascular plants in a boreal spruce forest

Vellak K., Paal J., Liira J. (2003). Diversity and distribution pattern of bryophytes and vascular plants in a boreal spruce forest. Silva Fennica vol. 37 no. 1 article id 508. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.508

Abstract

Small scale pattern of bryophyte communities is one of the remarkable sources of diversity in species-poor boreal forests. By means of correlation and general linear model approaches, the relationships between bryophyte vegetation and upper layers, as well as the response of ground and field layer species to several environmental factors, was analyzed in a boreal spruce forest in South-East Estonia. Of the studied factors, the strongest influence on the diversity and spatial distribution of ground and field layer species was found for ‘distance from nearest tree’. Species from different layers react differently to the proximity of trees. Species richness of bryophytes is higher further from trees, whereas more vascular plant species prefer to grow in the vicinity of tree trunks. For bryophyte species richness, the pH of the decay horizon is also important; fewer bryophyte species occur in more acid conditions.

Keywords
boreal forests; correlation; general linear models; Estonia; field layer; ground layer; spatial patterns

Received 10 July 2000 Accepted 16 December 2002 Published 31 December 2003

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