Long-term studies in forests – New publication shows massive changes in forest floor vegetation in spruce stands in the Erzgebirge

Long-term studies in forests – New publication shows massive changes in forest floor vegetation in spruce stands in the Erzgebirge

Our analysis of quasi-permanent plots in spruce stands in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains, Germany) shows that massive changes in forest floor vegetation took place between 1991 and 2013. The occurrence of numerous disturbance indicators in the herb layer can be ascribed to forest liming. In contrast, the regeneration of a species composition of the natural forest community is evident in the bryophyte layer, which is due to the strongly declining sulphur deposition.

See more details in our recent publication in Applied Vegetation Science:

Baumann M, Dittrich S, Körner M, Krause S, von Oheimb G, (in press). Temporal changes in the ground vegetation in spruce forests in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) – bryophytes are better indicators of the impact of liming and of sulphur and nitrogen deposition than the herb layer. Applied Vegetation Science. DOI: 10.1111/avsc.12598

Further studies on the effects of periodic liming on the herb layer and the bryophyte layer in spruce stands in the Ore Mountains:

Baumann M, Dittrich S, Körner M, Krause S, von Oheimb G, (2021). Temporal changes in the ground vegetation in spruce forests in the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) – bryophytes are better indicators of the impact of liming and of sulphur and nitrogen deposition than the herb layer. Applied Vegetation Science 24: e12598. https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12598

Baumann M, Dittrich S, Körner M, von Oheimb G, (2019). Liming in spruce stands: What effect does the number of lime applications have on the herb layer? European Journal of Forest Research 138: 723-735. DOI: 10.1007/s10342-019-01191-5

Baumann M, Dittrich S, von Oheimb G, (2019). Effects of periodic liming on the bryophyte layer in spruce stands in the Ore Mountains. Herzogia 32: 269–287. DOI: 10.13158/heia.32.2.2019.269