Under global change, how biological diversity and ecosystem services are maintained in
time is a fundamental question. Ecologists have long argued about multiple mechanisms by …

The vast majority of plant biodiversity associated with temperate forests is harboured by the
understorey layer. This layer also plays crucial roles in ecosystem functions such as tree …

Questions Do forest structural parameters related to stand heterogeneity enhance functional
diversity (FD) of understorey plant communities? Do FD and functional composition of …

Coppice forest management impacts understorey vegetation. This is particularly true for
habitat specialists (priority elements in conservation) who prefer closed canopy conditions …

Ecosystem functions are heavily dependent on the functional composition of the plant
community, ie, the functional traits of plants forming the community. This, on the one hand …

The ecological niche is one of the central concepts in plant ecology. Understanding which
biological traits influence plant niches remains limited, preventing large-scale …

Introduction Herbaceous plant species constitute an essential element of the flora of
European beech (Fagus sylvatica) forests. There is increasing evidence that rapidly …

How species assemble in a community is still an unresolved question in ecology, especially
in forest ecosystems. In temperate forests, the understory layer includes most of the plant …

Catastrophic wind disturbance affects not only forest structure and regeneration, but also
functional and compositional dynamics of the herbaceous layer. However, the issue of …

Forest herb-layer vegetation responds sensitively to environmental conditions. This paper
compares drivers of both taxonomic, ie, species richness, cover and evenness, and …