Tomaacute;s Ponce Author

Research Article Open Access

How Does Forwarding of Pinus pinea Plantations Affect the Recovery of Plant Assemblages of Stabilised Dunes?

Author(s):

Juan García-de-Lomas, Laura Fernández-Carrillo, María D Cobo, Ildefonso Martín, Concepción Saavedra, Santiago Pérez, Tomás Ponce and Carmen Rodríguez

Management of forest plantations towards biodiversity conservation poses a challenge of increasing importance. Felling and subsequent logging have been traditionally used in forest plantations, however, their suitability to restore preexisting habitats has been scarcely studied. This paper reports the effect of felling and forwarding of stone pine (Pinus pinea) plantations on soil disturbance and recovery of native xerophytic community typical of stabilised dunes in the Doñana Protected Area (southern Spain). Soil disturbance was assessed just after forwarding whereas recovery of plant assemblages was evaluated 27 months after the action by comparing species richness and diversity indices and Raunkiaer´s life functional types among four plot types: (i) plots with P. pinea t... view more»

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