The Effects of Environmental Features and Overstory Composition on the Understory Species Assemblage in Sub-Mediterranean Coppiced Woods: Implications for a Sustainable Forest Management

ABSTRACT Understanding the relationship among environmental factors, overstory and understory is a key step for the improvement of sustainable forest management. Our aim was to understand how environmental features (topographic factors) and overstory (tree species) composition affect understory (shrub and herb species) assemblage in sub-Mediterranean coppiced woods. The study area lies in the Monti Sibillini National Park (central Italy). In 205 plots (20 × 20 m) we collected topographic features and species cover values; moreover, we defined the Social Behaviour Type (SBT — i.e. species ecological and dynamic features) of each understory species. Data were analysed using Redundancy Analysis and Generalized Linear Modeling. We found that topographic factors shaped percentage cover of different tree species and hence determined forest community type. Topography-related factors were further mediated by the tree layer composition, in filtering understory assemblage, on the basis of species SBT. We found no e...