Comparison of traits of non-colonized and colonized decaying logs by vascular plant species

Abstract

The main goal of this study was to check whether the process of the colonization of coarse woody debris (CWD) is random or is determined by the wood traits and the environment. The study was conducted in the Karkonosze Mts., a part of Sudeten Mts. (Poland). We recorded the CWD traits and site conditions for 453 logs of spruce (Picea abies) and beech (Fagus sylvatica), which were either colonized or not colonized by vascular plants. Principal Components Analysis (PCA), a statistical comparison of two categories of logs using the Wilcoxon’s sum rank test and Generalized Linear Model (GLM) were applied. P. abies logs were colonized significantly more frequently than F. sylvatica logs. PCA demonstrated that the groups of colonized and non-colonized logs significantly differed overall in both species. The colonization status of a given log was significantly associated with CWD traits and site conditions. Decomposition class, the log diameter and the cover of bryophytes in F. sylvatica and P. abies, as well as altitude in the latter species, were significant factors that increased the probability of dead wood colonization by vascular plants. The results supported the hypothesis that vascular plants do not colonize all of the available logs and that the process of establishment is not random.

Keywords

• Dead Wood
• Fallen Trees
• Succession
• Norway Spruce
• Beechwood
• Montane Forest