A detailed study recently published in the journal New Phytologist reveals How have understory types in Europe changed over the last four decades?. Some species show a clear trend towards a strong decrease, while other species expand significantly.
According to the team led by Josep Padullés, researcher at the Catalan Center for Forestry Research and Applications (CREAF) and professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Plant diversity in European forests has remained stable, although greater extinctions have been observed in certain groups Such as Ericaceae (shrubs), Fabaceae (legumes) and Orchidaceae (orchids).
This contrasts with the rise of species in other families such as Amarantaceae (Amaranths, spinach and so on), Cyperaceae (Reeds) and Rosaceae (Roses and so on). Evolutionary relationships were analyzed and it was shown that the declining species were closely related species in the evolutionary tree, while the newly added species had a more diverse origin. The study reveals that: Human activities have played an important role in this invisible and slow change.
Orchids are decreasing
“Plants of high conservation interest, e.g. orchids, It is decreasing due to environmental changes resulting from human activities. These changes threaten entire plant families They have special strategies to survive and thrive in their environment. In this study, we can see this relationship and provide more valuable information than examining individual species would give us. Each species family has its own function in the ecosystem, so any changes can have significant impacts on the environment,” confirms Josep Padullés, first author of the study and CREAF researcher.
On the other hand heTaller plants that need more nitrogen, such as certain types of rosacea or amaranth, have become more common in temperate forests. In this sense, the study warns that the spread of these tall plants could change the way the forest as a whole grows and functions.
To conduct the study, the research team analyzed it precisely. 2,672 different plots of land in forty yearsWe closely observe the changes in plant diversity in the field.
Change through human action
The study shows that human activities play an important role in the diversity of the European understory. forest management and grazing to deliberately introduce species. Humans have either benefited or harmed species by altering these ecosystems.
These changes, although seemingly discreet, have affected the vegetation. accelerating extinctions or supporting new colonizations. “For example, forest management can change the degree of tree cover in favor of different species, stipulating a lighter or darker environment. Livestock farming also has an impact on forests, because animals have preferences for certain species and can be compressed in the soil,” Padullés adds. For example, forest management practices have favored grasses and sedges.
Surprisingly, other climate factors, such as hotter summers or excess nitrogen, were not the main factors. from these changes. In fact, plant diversity increased in regions transitioning towards milder winters and more rainfall, highlighting the complex interaction between different environmental factors.
Reference work: https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19477
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