Restoring plant species diversity and community composition in a ponderosa pine-bunchgrass ecosystem
Published source details Laughlin D.C., Bakker J.D., Daniels M.L., Moore M.M., Casey C.A. & Springer J.D. (2008) Restoring plant species diversity and community composition in a ponderosa pine-bunchgrass ecosystem. Plant Ecology, 197, 139-151.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
| Action | Category | |
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Thin trees within forests: effects on understory plants Action Link |  |
Thin trees within forests: effects on understory plants
A replicated, controlled study in 1992-2005 in temperate coniferous forest in Arizona, USA (Laughlin et al. 2008) found no effect of thinning on plant species richness or on changes in species composition. Numbers of species/2 m2 (unthinned: 6; thinned: 8) and the change in species composition between 1992 and 2005 (unthinned: 0.36; thinned: 0.44) were similar between treatments. Complete species lists were collected in two 1 m2 quadrats in each of 35 subplots (2.5 m2), four in each of five thinned (thinned from below in 1993, retaining all trees >37.5 cm DBH) and three in each of five unthinned plots (0.2-0.3 ha). Data were collected between 1992 and 2005.
