Effects of different site preparation treatments on species diversity, composition, and plant traits in Pinus halepensis woodlands

Published source details Prévosto B., Bousquet-Mélou A., Ripert C. & Fernández C. (2011) Effects of different site preparation treatments on species diversity, composition, and plant traits in Pinus halepensis woodlands. Plant Ecology (formerly Vegetatio 1948-1996), 212, 627-638.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Use vegetation removal together with mechanical disturbance to the soil Action Link
	Use prescribed fire: effect on understory plants Action Link

Use vegetation removal together with mechanical disturbance to the soil

A replicated, randomized, controlled study in 2005 in Mediterranean Aleppo pine Pinus halepensis woodland in France (3) found that mechanical cutting of ground vegetation together with mechanical soil disturbance (scarification) increased total plant species richness and herbaceous plant cover, decreased shrub cover, but had no effect on total plant diversity. Herbaceous cover was higher in double scarification than control plots (control: 24; one scarification: 31; double scarification: 34%). Shrub cover was the highest in control and higher in one scarification than in double scarification plots (control: 40; one scarification: 29; double scarification: 20%). Number of species was higher in one and double scarification than control plots (control: 27; one scarification: 35; double scarification: 37species/plot), while diversity was similar between treatments (Shannon's index control: 3.2; one scarification: 3.5; double scarification: 3.6). Data were collected in 2009 in eight replicates of each treatment: control, one scarification (vegetation cut, litter layer and top soil mechanically scratched in one direction) and double scarification (litter layer and top soil mechanically scratched in two directions) plots (14 × 14 m). All plots were thinned in 2004 (from 410 to 210 trees/ha). Treatments were applied in 2005.
Use prescribed fire: effect on understory plants

A replicated, randomized, controlled study in 2005 in Mediterranean Aleppo pine Pinus halepensis woodland in France (Prévosto et al. 2011) found that prescribed burning increased plant species richness and diversity and decreased shrub cover but did not affect the cover of herbaceous plants. Numbers of species (unburned: 27; burned: 33/plot) and diversity (Shannon's index unburned: 3.2; burned: 3.7) were higher in burned plots, while shrub cover was lower in burned plots (unburned: 40%; burned: 29%). Herbaceous plant cover was similar between treatments (unburned: 24%; burned: 30%). Data were collected in 2009 in eight unburned control and eight burned (prescribed fire in 2005) plots (14 × 14 m). All plots were thinned in 2004 (from 410 to 210 trees/ha).