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September 3, 2026Ecology and EvolutionOpen Access

Structural Attributes Outweigh Topographical Effects in Determining Vascular Plant Diversity Within Southern Apennine Old‐Growth Forests

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Authors

DTDanilo TravasciaGPGianluca PiovesanNPNicodemo G. Passalacqua

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Overview

Observational analysis reveals forest structural attributes drive vascular plant diversity over topography in old-growth stands, highlighting the need to prioritize structural complexity in...

Key Points

  • To quantify forest structural heterogeneity in Southern Apennine old-growth forests and determine the relative influence of stand structural attributes versus topographic variables on vascular plant species composition.
  • Surveyed structural attributes, topography, and vascular plant composition across 142 subplots nested within 8 candidate old-growth forest sites in Pollino National Park, southern Italy.
  • Calculated a Structural Heterogeneity Index (SHI) and evaluated relationships using linear mixed-effects models accounting for subplot nesting.
  • Applied canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), principal coordinate analysis (PCoA), and variation partitioning (VP) to disentangle the distinct effects of forest structure and topography on floristic composition.
  • Topographic variables explained 18.8% of the variation in forest structural attributes, with aspect showing a significant joint association with SHI, while elevation and slope were not significant in site-adjusted models.
  • Variation partitioning showed that forest structure uniquely explained 23.5% of floristic variation compared to 12.8% explained by topography alone, alongside a substantial shared fraction.
  • Beech and mixed forests exhibited the highest structural heterogeneity, with large-tree abundance, canopy cover, and decay-class diversity significantly associated with vascular plant species composition.

Cite This Study

Travascia et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a993547636c6408cfa7d71fhttps://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.74230
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