Combined effects of gap creation and deer exclusion on restoration of belowground systems of secondary woodlands: A field experiment in warm-temperate monsoon Asia
2014
Abstract Ground-layer vegetation in abandoned woodlands of the Northern Hemisphere is rapidly declining because of overshading and an overabundance of
ungulateherbivores; these changes may be affecting belowground ecosystems. An effective countermeasure is to restore ground-layer vegetation by establishing deer
exclosuresimmediately after creating canopy
gaps. However, such measures disturb belowground processes (e.g., decelerate decomposition rates and decrease soil water content) and may cause further disintegration of the whole system. To estimate the combined effects of
gapcreation and
exclosureinstallation, we established a 2 × 2-
factorial experiment(including
gapcreation,
exclosureinstallation, both methods, and a control) in warm-temperate secondary woodlands. After five years, we studied ground vegetation, litter cover, soil–water physics, abundance of litter-dwelling invertebrates, and litter decomposition in each experimental plot. A significant increase in ground vegetation was found in
gap-and-
exclosureplots and
gap-and-deer plots, although the increase in the latter was limited to approximately half of that in the former; in contrast, no significant increase was found in the control or canopy-and-
exclosureplots. The abundance of litter-dwelling invertebrates was significantly reduced by
gapcreation, although this effect was offset by installation of
exclosuresin
gaps. Fine porosity and water holding capacity of
topsoilwere reduced by
gapcreation, but these negative effects were mitigated by
exclosuresinstalled in
gaps. Meanwhile, coarse porosity and water permeability of
topsoilwere not affected by
gapcreation; they tended to be increased by
exclosureinstallation both in
gapsand under the canopy. Litter decomposition tended to be delayed in the
gap-and-deer plot, although this effect was temporary;
exclosureinstallation slightly increased decomposition rates, but this effect was limited. These results show the possibility of restoring belowground dynamics in abandoned forests by creating small canopy
gapsand establishing
ungulate
exclosures. This mixture of interventions should increase habitat heterogeneity in these forests and help prevent biological homogenization while mitigating long-term negative effects of
gapcreation on belowground ecosystems.
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