Impact of soil fertility and insolation on diversity of herbaceous woodland species colonizing afforestations in Muizen forest (Belgium)

In a chronosequence of afforestations adjacent to ancient forest, relations between herbaceous forest vegetation and possible explanatory variables, such as soil characteristics, land-use history variables and relative insolation on the forest floor, were studied using linear models on species groups and a direct gradient analysis (CCA). An explorative correlation analysis indicated that the moisture, carbon, total nitrogen and phosphorus contents of the soil, were correlated with forest age. Although soil pH was not correlated with forest age, its variability was greater in ancient forest and... Mehr ...