Laima CESONIENE, Remigijus DAUBARAS, Paulius KASKONAS, Vilma KASKONIENE, Audrius Sigitas MARUSKA, Nicola TISO, Marcin ZYCH

Initial impact of clear-cut logging on dynamics of understory vascular plants and pollinators in Scots pine-dominated forests in Lithuania

The development of understory plants and attendant changes of pollinators immediately after clear-cut logging were studiedin boreal Scots pine forests. Experiments were carried out in Vacciniosa and Vaccinio-myrtillosa forest types. Considerable declineof the dwarf shrub layer confirmed the negative reaction of this dominated understory life form; however, the frequency dynamicsof different vascular plants demonstrated species-specific response to changing environmental conditions. Because of rapid changesof light as well as damage of rhizomes by soil disturbances, the values of mean cover and frequency of the studied Ericaceae speciesdecreased. We detected the most sensitive understory species to be Lycopodium annotinum, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, and Goodyerarepens; consequently, their preservation is possible only under sustainable forest resources exploitation. On the other hand, arrival ofnew light-demanding species caused increased pollinator visitation to focal ericaceous shrubs.

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