Forest structure drives plant diversity in Italy’s old-growth forests
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Researchers from several Italian universities studied plant life within Pollino National Park in southern Italy and found that the structure of forests, including large trees, complex canopies, and varying amounts of deadwood, more strongly influences the types of plants growing there than the land’s topography.
The team surveyed nine old-growth forest sites, gathering data on forest structure, topography, and the plant species present in 142 separate areas.
They combined measurements of living trees, large trees, canopy structure, and deadwood to assess the contribution of forest structure compared to topography. The study revealed that forest structure accounted for 23.5% of the variation in plant composition, while topography alone explained only 12.8%. Features like the abundance of large trees, canopy cover, and the diversity of decaying wood were particularly important in creating varied habitats for different plants.
The researchers also observed 153 vascular plant species across the study sites, noting that high-elevation beech forests contained unique plants found in southern Europe. The scientists emphasize that simply counting plant species is not enough to assess a forest’s conservation value. Old-growth forests preserve distinctive plant communities and long-term ecological continuity, which depend on the presence of large, ancient trees and a variety of deadwood.
They suggest ongoing monitoring of forest structure and plant life, combined with other data like tree age and soil conditions, to better understand how these forests respond to climate change and inform conservation efforts.
