Relating Plant Biodiversity in Forests with the Spatial Scale of Ecosystem Processes

Table 1

Ecological key parameters for an ecological series of close-to-nature European beech (Fagus sylvatica) forest ecosystem types of the Northern Central Europe compared to secondary Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) forest ecosystem types which substitute beech forest on large parts of the woodlands mainly in the Eastern lowland regions [7].

Parameter	Close-to-nature European beech forest ecosystem types
	1	2	3	4
	Mercuriali-Fagetum sylvaticae	Melico-Fagetum sylvaticae	Milio-Fagetum sylvaticae	Majanthemo-Fagetum sylvaticae
Soil substrate	marl, marly loam	loam	sandy loam, loamy sand	sand
Soil nutrient status	hypertrophic, carbonate	eutrophic	meso- to eutrophic	mesotrophic, meso- to oligotrophic
Humus type	mull	mull-like moder	mull-like moder to moder	moder
C/N (0–5 cm)	10–12	13–15	16–18	19–22
Site index^a (m)	32.7±1.8	30.6±2.6	28.3±2.6	25.4±2.6
Ecosystem productivity^b (t/ha)	11.6±0.9	10.8±1.2	9.5±1.1	7.6±1.0
Parameter	Secondary Scots pine forest ecosystem types
		2^′	3^′	4^′
		Rubo-Culto-Pinetum sylvestris	Rubo-Avenello-Culto-Pin.sylv.	Avenello-Culto-Pinetum sylvestris
Soil substrate		loam	sandy loam, loamy sand	sand
Soil nutrient status		eutrophic	meso- to eutrophic	meso- to oligotrophic
Humus type		moder	raw humus-like moder	raw humus
C/N (0–5 cm)		20–22	23–25	27–29
Site index^a (m)		28.0±1.8	27.3±1.7	21.3±3.6
Ecosystem productivity^b (t/ha)		8.3±0.6	7.8±0.6	6.2±1.1

aMean basal area height of trees at 100 years.
bMaximum average net primary production of aboveground biomass (dry weight).