Publication Date:
2018
Description:
Abstract
Question
European temperate forests have been managed for millennia, and this management has left a long‐lasting legacy in soil chemistry and plant species composition and diversity. One of the most common practices was the raking of leaf litter, which was used as bedding for farm animals. We asked, what is the legacy of historical litter raking for contemporary forest plant communities?
Location
Czech Republic.
Methods
We explored the effect of historical litter raking on species richness and diversity of the forest herbaceous layer. We also tested whether long‐term soil acidification and nutrient depletion caused by litter raking were reflected in Ellenberg indicator values for nutrients and soil reaction and in the higher abundance of specialists of acidophilous forest types. We used written historical evidence to identify areas where litter raking was practised in the 19th century. We analysed the differences between vegetation plots located in areas affected and unaffected by the past litter raking. Our analysis included almost 2,500 vegetation plots recorded between 1980 and 2015.
Results
Litter raking was historically practised in a striking 85% of forested townships. Although litter raking had no significant effect on overall species richness, we found significant differences of diversity patterns among forest types. Historically raked plots were taxonomically more similar. We found no difference in the mean Ellenberg indicator values for soil reaction and nutrients between the affected and unaffected plots, and only a weak positive response of selected herb species of acidophilous forests.
Conclusions
We provide the first empirical evidence of the historical litter‐raking legacy in forest communities on a large scale. Despite its historical frequency, we found only a weak legacy of historical litter raking in present‐day plant communities. Future studies could potentially use other, finer‐scale methods in smaller territories to complement our results.
Print ISSN:
1100-9233
Electronic ISSN:
1654-1103
Topics:
Biology
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