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Diversity
Special Issues
Plant Succession and Vegetation Dynamics
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Plant Succession and Vegetation Dynamics

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Diversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2025 | Viewed by 7372

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Thomas Fickert

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Passau, Innstraße 40, 94032 Passau, Germany
Interests: mangrove ecology; high mountain research; vegetation dynamics; plant ecology; plant diversity; vegetation geography
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Michael Richter

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Geography, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Kochstraße 4/4, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
Interests: vegetation ecology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plant cover on earth is changing continuously on different temporal and spatial scales. Those changes can be very obvious or rather inconspicuous, they can occur as sudden events or as gradual shifts, they can be locally restricted or global phenomena and they can be effective on different time scales from weeks to thousands of years. Thus, changes in plant cover on earth encompass wide spatio-temporal spectra and also the reasons for their emergence are manyfold.

Processes of directional change in species composition and vegetation structure with time are referred to as succession, a fundamental, but controversially discussed concept in plant community ecology and vegetation geography ever since early accounts in the 19th and 20th century by pioneers such as Adolphe Dureau de la Malle, Eugen Warming, Henry Cowles, Frederic Clements or Henry A. Gleason. Directional succession, however, is just one part of vegetation dynamics. There exists a broad variety of additional processes and patterns of vegetation change in both, space and time such as mosaic cycles, gap dynamics or cohort dynamics following diebacks. A better understanding of successional pathways, the processes involved and vegetation dynamics in general is crucial in times of rapid environmental change and increasing frequency and intensity of natural and man-made disturbances, as it has important implications for ecosystem restoration and overall vegetation management.

This Special Issue aims at highlighting and showcasing recent findings and advances in the study of plant succession and vegetation dynamics. Case studies from all plant communities on earth are welcome, as are comparisons between different plant communities. Methods employed may include, but are not limited to, permanent plot studies, chronosequence approaches, manipulation experiments, remote sensing techniques and modelling, to cover a broad range of spatial and temporal scales as well as potential underlying reasons in vegetation dynamics today.

Dr. Thomas Fickert
Prof. Dr. Michael Richter
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • vegetation dynamics
  • succession
  • mosaic cycles
  • gap dynamics
  • cohort dynamics
  • colonization
  • propagule dispersal pathways
  • species turnover
  • ecosystem functioning
  • conservation
  • natural regeneration

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 3953 KiB  
Article
Succession as a Natural Tool for Restoration of Oak—Lime Forests on Aspen-Covered Clearcuts
by Alina Nasibullina, Katharina Tiebel and Sven Wagner
Diversity 2024, 16(7), 376; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16070376 - 28 Jun 2024
Viewed by 762
Abstract
The genus Quercus, including species like pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.), can play a key role in maintaining climate-resistant mixed forests due to its broad ecological spectrum and drought tolerance. Unfortunately, in some parts of Europe, clearcutting has drastically reduced the [...] Read more.
The genus Quercus, including species like pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.), can play a key role in maintaining climate-resistant mixed forests due to its broad ecological spectrum and drought tolerance. Unfortunately, in some parts of Europe, clearcutting has drastically reduced the oak population. An example of this event is our survey of heritage Oak—Lime forests in European Russia, which were transformed into pure aspen stands. The aim of our study was to provide forecasts and silvicultural recommendations for the passive restoration of these forests. We took a chronosequence approach to assess changes associated with natural succession over 60 years. In our survey of the development of oaks, limes and accompanying tree species (aspen, birches, maples, elms), we used 190 plots ranging across a wide spectrum of forest disturbance due to clearcutting. We demonstrate that aspen reproduce rapidly by root suckers after cutting and occupy more than 60% of the space. But the dominance of aspen decreases continuously from the age of 30, and then the lime trees begin to dominate. Oak does not show successful natural regeneration. Therefore, we recommend planting oak seedlings or sowing acorns, i.e., active restoration, in combination with the natural restoration of lime. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Succession and Vegetation Dynamics)
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18 pages, 4734 KiB  
Article
Arrested Succession on Fire-Affected Slopes in the Krummholz Zone and Subalpine Forest of the Northern Limestone Alps
by Marta De Giuli, Markus Winkler, Thomas Deola, Julia Henschel, Oliver Sass, Peter Wolff and Anke Jentsch
Diversity 2024, 16(7), 366; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16070366 - 26 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1059
Abstract
Fire in the Northern Alps is comparatively rare. Yet, previous human-ignited fire events in subalpine forests up to the treeline have triggered severe fire damage to vegetation and soil. Here, we investigate post-fire vegetation dynamics in the Northern Limestone Alps about 80 years [...] Read more.
Fire in the Northern Alps is comparatively rare. Yet, previous human-ignited fire events in subalpine forests up to the treeline have triggered severe fire damage to vegetation and soil. Here, we investigate post-fire vegetation dynamics in the Northern Limestone Alps about 80 years after disturbance. We observed higher species richness in burned compared to unburned vegetation and clearly distinct floristic communities emerging after fire-driven forest removal, with several alpine specialist species uniquely found in the burned subalpine sites. The functional composition of vegetation was also distinct, with higher relative forb cover in burned plots. This difference was likely driven by disturbance-related environmental changes, such as increased light availability, offering safe sites for subalpine and alpine species. Due to a general lack of tree encroachment, we consider this a case of arrested succession after fire. We conclude that the recovery of fire-affected subalpine forests is modulated by complex interactions of climatic and biotic filters producing extreme site conditions, controlling the recolonization of the disturbed areas by forest species while providing safe sites for the establishment of a rich subalpine and alpine low-statured flora. The coupling of disturbance and abiotic filters makes high-elevation treeline ecotones very vulnerable to climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Succession and Vegetation Dynamics)
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22 pages, 10066 KiB  
Article
Resilience of Aboveground Biomass of Secondary Forests Following the Abandonment of Gold Mining Activity in the Southeastern Peruvian Amazon
by Jorge Garate-Quispe, Marx Herrera-Machaca, Victor Pareja Auquipata, Gabriel Alarcón Aguirre, Sufer Baez Quispe and Edgar Eloy Carpio-Vargas
Diversity 2024, 16(4), 233; https://doi.org/10.3390/d16040233 - 15 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1738
Abstract
Amazon rainforests are critical for providing a wide range of ecosystem services. In the Southeastern Peruvian Amazon; however, goldmining activities are causing severe soil degradation and forest loss. We analyzed aboveground biomass (AGB), forest structure, and species diversity recovery during secondary succession in [...] Read more.
Amazon rainforests are critical for providing a wide range of ecosystem services. In the Southeastern Peruvian Amazon; however, goldmining activities are causing severe soil degradation and forest loss. We analyzed aboveground biomass (AGB), forest structure, and species diversity recovery during secondary succession in 179 forest plots. Our study provides the first field-based quantification of AGB recovery following the abandonment by two types of goldmining (heavy machinery and suction pumping) in Madre de Dios (Peru). We found that successional secondary forests in areas subjected to suction pumping were more resilient than those in areas subjected to heavy machinery. After 20 years, mean AGB in suction pumping mining areas had reached 56% of reference forest AGB, while in areas of heavy machinery mining it was only 18%. Mining type, stand age, and distance from the forest edge had a significant effect on AGB. The influence of the distance from the forest edge on AGB varies according to mining type because the effects of species diversity on AGB are mediated by the distance from the forest edge. Our results clearly showed the dynamics of AGB recovery across a secondary succession after goldmining, and the contrasting responses of AGB between the two mining types. Our study disentangles the importance of key factors in forest recovery after mining and improves understanding of the resilience of biomass accumulation in these highly degraded ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Succession and Vegetation Dynamics)
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22 pages, 8427 KiB  
Article
Influence of Distance from Forest Edges on Spontaneous Vegetation Succession Following Small-Scale Gold Mining in the Southeast Peruvian Amazon
by Jorge Garate-Quispe, Manuel Velásquez Ramírez, Edwin Becerra-Lira, Sufer Baez-Quispe, Milagro Abril-Surichaqui, Liset Rodriguez-Achata, Adenka Muñoz-Ushñahua, Pedro Nascimento Herbay, Yoni Fernandez-Mamani, Gabriel Alarcon-Aguirre, Marx Herrera-Machaca, Litcely Hilares Vargas, Ronald Corvera Gomringer and Dennis del Castillo Torres
Diversity 2023, 15(6), 793; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15060793 - 19 Jun 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2528
Abstract
Few studies describe the factors that influence the natural regeneration in abandoned gold mining areas in the Amazon. Here we focus on the influence of the distance to the forest edge and abandonment time in a spontaneous succession of degraded areas by gold [...] Read more.
Few studies describe the factors that influence the natural regeneration in abandoned gold mining areas in the Amazon. Here we focus on the influence of the distance to the forest edge and abandonment time in a spontaneous succession of degraded areas by gold mining in the southeastern Peruvian Amazon. We assessed woody species composition (DBH ≥ 1 cm) and forest stand structure across a chronosequence (2–23 years). A total of 79 species belonging to 30 families were identified. The natural regeneration was dominated by Fabaceae, Malvaceae, and Urticaceae. Together, they represented 60% of the importance index. Cecropia membranacea and Ochroma pyramidale were the dominant pioneer species at the initial successional stage. The basal area and species diversity were directly related to time after abandonment and inversely related to the distance to forest edges. The distance-based redundancy analysis showed that more of the variation in species composition was explained by distance to the forest edge than the abandonment time. Our study revealed that regeneration was relatively slow and provided evidence that the distance to the forest edge is important for natural regeneration in areas degraded by gold mining. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Succession and Vegetation Dynamics)
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