TY  - JOUR
A1  - Reinecke, Jennifer
A1  - Klemm, Gunther
A1  - Heinken, Thilo
T1  - Vegetation change and homogenization of species composition in temperate nutrient deficient scots pine forests after 45 yr
JF  - Journal of vegetation science
N2  - QuestionDoes eutrophication drive vegetation change in pine forests on nutrient deficient sites and thus lead to the homogenization of understorey species composition?
 LocationForest area (1600ha) in the Lower Spreewald, Brandenburg, Germany.
 MethodsResurvey of 77 semi-permanent plots after 45yr, including vascular plants, bryophytes and ground lichens. We applied multidimensional ordination of species composition, dissimilarity indices, mean Ellenberg indicator values and the concept of winner/loser species to identify vegetation change between years. Differential responses along a gradient of nutrient availability were analysed on the basis of initial vegetation type, reflecting topsoil N availability of plots.
 ResultsSpecies composition changed strongly and overall shifted towards higher N and slightly lower light availability. Differences in vegetation change were related to initial vegetation type, with strongest compositional changes in the oligotrophic forest type, but strongest increase of nitrophilous species in the mesotrophic forest type. Despite an overall increase in species number, species composition was homogenized between study years due to the loss of species (mainly ground lichens) on the most oligotrophic sites.
 ConclusionsThe response to N enrichment is confounded by canopy closure on the N-richest sites and probably by water limitation on N-poorest sites. The relative importance of atmospheric N deposition in the eutrophication effect is difficult to disentangle from natural humus accumulation after historical litter raking. However, the profound differences in species composition between study years across all forest types suggest that atmospheric N deposition contributes to the eutrophication, which drives understorey vegetation change and biotic homogenization in Central European Scots pine forests on nutrient deficient sites.
KW  - Eutrophication
KW  - Litter raking
KW  - Canopy closure
KW  - Cryptogams
KW  - Species diversity
Y1  - 2014
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.12069
SN  - 1100-9233
SN  - 1654-1103
VL  - 25
IS  - 1
SP  - 113
EP  - 121
PB  - Wiley-Blackwell
CY  - Hoboken
ER  -