Potential implications of shortened rotation length for forest birds, bryophytes, lichens and vascular plants: An example from southern Swedish production forests.

ABSTRACT: The rotation lengths of intensively managed production forests may be altered to achieve a variety of goals, with correspondingly implications for biodiversity. Here we consider the potential implications of shortened rotation times for biodiversity in planted monocultures of the two most common production tree species in Sweden, Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and Norway spruce (Picea abies). To do so we surveyed bird, bryophyte, epiphytic lichen and vascular plant diversity in 80 and 55-year-old stands; stand ages which approximate present-day and potential future rotation lengths in this region respectively. We found clear differences in the species communities of the 55 compared to the 80-year-old stands for both understory species and epiphytes, but not for birds. Nevertheless, bird spe

SUBMITTER: Petersson L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10723730 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature