Changes in the vascular plant vegetation after different cutting regimes on a productive Peatland site in Central Sweden

We studied the changes in vascular plant vegetation in the first five years after final felling of a mature Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) forest on a productive peatland. Vegetation changes following clearcutting and selective cutting (shelterwoods with the density 140 and 200 stem ha‐1) were compared. The total cover of the understory increased three times on the clearcut and more than twice in the shelterwoods. The relative decrease of the three most common species was from 73% to 3% on the clearcut and 79 to 28% under the shelter trees. Six of the 16 most common species in the mature forest almost disappeared on the clearcut. In contrast, in the shelterwoods, few species decreased and twelve of the most common species remained the same or increased their cover.