Variability of plant species diversity during the natural restoration of the subalpine birch forest in the Central Great Caucasus

3030 13 14323 1 37583 document 14323 bot-39-3-8-1404-19.pdf application/pdf 626de58311d355dd7b45c36e41c9a494 MD5 1198377 2015-07-25 12:52:23 http://eprints.iliauni.edu.ge/3030/2/bot-39-3-8-1404-19.pdf 3030 2 2 application/pdf text en public

bot-39-3-8-1404-19.pdf

14325 2 37594 document 14325 lightbox.jpg image/png 10a100bc966d509043e38dfa8d3e9bf9 MD5 57125 2015-07-25 13:02:45 http://eprints.iliauni.edu.ge/3030/3/lightbox.jpg 3030 3 3 image/png other Thumbnails conversion from text to thumbnail_lightbox ge public

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http://eprints.org/relation/isVersionOf http://eprints.iliauni.edu.ge/id/document/14323 http://eprints.org/relation/isVolatileVersionOf http://eprints.iliauni.edu.ge/id/document/14323 http://eprints.org/relation/issmallThumbnailVersionOf http://eprints.iliauni.edu.ge/id/document/14323 archive 65 disk0/00/00/30/30 2015-07-27 05:22:45 2015-07-27 05:22:45 2015-07-27 05:22:45 article show maia_akhalkatsi@iliauni.edu.ge Togonidze Natalia natotogonidze@yahoo.com Akhalkatsi Maia maia_akhalkatsi@iliauni.edu.ge Variability of plant species diversity during the natural restoration of the subalpine birch forest in the Central Great Caucasus pub QEC QK SD public : The northern slopes of the Central Great Caucasus of Georgia were covered by birch (Betula litwinowii) forests in the past, but forest degradation resulted in subalpine secondary meadows. Over the past 20 years birch forest natural reforestation processes have taken place. The aim of this study was to determine the changes in plant species diversity during reforestation. Different habitat types were selected to trace the development of birch forests from subalpine meadows. Species richness was determined in 100 research plots (25 m2 each) of different habitat types. Pioneer succession was distinguished by the highest level of species richness due to the mixture of two habitat types. Degraded forest showed the lowest species richness. At the initial stages of forest restoration we observed several species of subalpine dwarf shrubs. They grow only in open canopy areas and are absent in closed forests. The alpine treeline habitat type and pioneer succession of subalpine meadows revealed close relations in species composition and diversity. These similarities show forest restoration in lower elevations as it is restricted in the treeline ecotone by local climatic conditions. The natural regeneration is apparently in close relation with the global climate change, but the most important factor is the reduction of uncontrolled sheep grazing 2015-05-01 published Turkish Journal of Botany 39 3 Tübitak 458-471 http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/botany/issues/bot-15-39-3/bot-39-3-8-1404-19.pdf TRUE 1300-008X http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/botany/issue.htm?id=1402 http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/botany/index.htm;jsessionid=B6FEA13EF116A476C1DDA2B77F8CD188