Small-scale patch dynamics after disturbance in litter ant communities

The dynamics of re-colonisation of disturbed patches may aid in the understanding of spatial variation of species richness. The present study experimentally tested the hypothesis that the variation of litter ant local species richness and composition is caused by the dynamics of re-colonisation after disturbances. We were particularly interested in whether the re-colonisation was by pre-existent species or species new to the patches, and whether the succession of species evidences the existence of dominance-controlled or founder-controlled communities. Litter patches of a forest remnant in Southeast Brazil were disturbed by removing most animals through litter drying, and litter samples were returned to the same sites from where they were removed. Ant species richness and composition were compared before and 2 months after the disturbance. Dissimilarity among disturbed and non-disturbed samples was compared to infer the succession model occurring after disturbance. Ant species richness did not recover after 2 months, and species composition of the disturbed samples showed more new colonisers than pre-existent species. Dissimilarity among samples in the disturbed plots was smaller than in the control plots, indicating a directional, or dominance-controlled, succession. The changes in species composition observed were caused by a decrease of some species, particularly predators, and an increase of species that are possibly opportunistic. Patches of litter are naturally disturbed in time and space, and evidence from the present paper indicates that succession occurring in these patches would lead to different species richness and compositions. Thus the dynamics of re-colonisation contributes to explaining the diversity of litter-dwelling ant communities at larger spatial and temporal scales. In each patch the succession seems to be directional, with opportunist species re-colonising preferentially empty plots. Therefore, these communities may attain a high diversity due to a small-scale patch dynamics model.     

茂县土地岭植被恢复过程中物种多样性动态特征

植被恢复是退化生态系统重建的重要途径,植被恢复过程物种多样性的变化反映了植被的恢复程度.通过群落调查和多样性分析,研究了岷江上游土地岭植被恢复过程中群落物种多样性特征.结果表明： 恢复过程中6类不同类型群落分别表现其对于不同环境特征、干扰及更新方式等的响应;森林是较灌丛更适合当地环境状况的植被类型;人工恢复无干扰和轻度干扰群落的多样性相对较高,是较好的恢复模式.重度干扰使得1年生植物与地下芽植物比例增加,其它口食性较好的多年生草本减少.较强的干扰是群落无法更新、长期处于灌丛阶段且多样性较低的重要原因.本地区人工恢复群落在更新进程和多样性维持上优于自然更新群落,种植华山松加速了本地区植被演替进程.建议以适合恢复区域的多种恢复配置方式进行造林,并避免较强干扰,可以加速群落演替进程并保持恢复群落较高的物种丰富度与多样性.     

Species turnover and diversity during early stages of vegetation recovery on the volcano Usu,northern Japan

To study the rate of revegetation during succession on the volcano Usu, northern Japan, vegetation structure and species composition were monitored from 1984 to 1988 in permanent quadrats near the summit of the volcano, which had been almost completely deforested by 1 to 3 m thick volcanic deposits in 1977–78. Analyses of vegetation structure included species richness, species diversity (IT), evenness (J'); year-to-year changes were quantified using Community Coefficient (CC), and Percentage Similarity (PS). While species turnover rates fluctuated and vegetation cover gradually increased, species richness, diversity and evenness did not fluctuate much. The diversity parameters showed slightly different levels for three habitat types distinguished. CC values comparing subsequent years with the starting year 1984 suggest only minor changes in qualitative species composition; PS values decreased more rapidly, indicating larger changes in species cover. A few well-rooted perennial plants were predominant, therefore, PS decline resulted from dominance-controlled community structure. PS-value detected not only habitat difference, but also the rate of the volcanic succession, suggesting that PS is most effective to evaluate successional pace.     

Vegetation convergence during early succession on coal wastes: a 6‐year permanent plot study

Question: Does the course of succession on a coal mine restored by hydroseeding converge with a reference community in terms of species composition and vegetation structure? What is the rate of succession on restored areas? How does the balance between local colonization and extinction rates change during succession? Which species group (native or hydroseeded) determines the successional process? Location: Large reclaimed coal mine in the north of Palencia province, northern Spain (42°50′N, 4°38′W). Methods: Between 2004 and 2009 we monitored annually vascular plant species cover in nine permanent plots (20 m² each) at a restored mine; these plots were structured to account for site aspect (north, south and flat). Three identical permanent plots were established in the surrounding reference community and monitored in 2004 and 2009. We used detrended correspondence analysis to assess successional trends and rates of succession, generalized linear mixed models to derive patterns of vegetation structural changes and turnover through time, and Huisman–Olff–Fresco modelling to illustrate response of individual species through time. Results: The three restored mine areas exhibited a successional trend towards the reference community through time, although speed of convergence differed. However, after 6 years the restored sites had diverged considerably and this was greater than the dissimilarity reduction with respect to the reference community. Richness, diversity and native species cover increased linearly through time, whereas hydroseeded species cover decreased. Success of hydroseeded species initially differed in the three areas, and this was negatively related with native species colonization rates. Response patterns through time of ten hydroseeded and 20 most common native species are described. Conclusions: Vegetation structural parameters rapidly converged with the reference community, whereas compositional convergence needed much longer. At the same time, successional composition trajectories and rates were related to site properties (here aspect).     

Species Dynamics During Early Secondary Forest Succession: Recruitment, Mortality and Species Turnover

The "Initial Floristic Composition" hypothesis is applied to secondary tropical rain forest succession in abandoned agricultural fields with light previous land-use and close to seed sources. This hypothesis predicts that both pioneer and shade-tolerant species colonize a site directly after abandonment, and as the canopy closes, the recruitment of pioneers sharply declines, while recruitment of shade-tolerant species continues. It also predicts higher mortality among pioneers. Consequently, recruited and dead trees are expected to differ in species composition, with highest species richness for the recruits. During 18 mo, we monitored recruitment and mortality of trees with height ≥ 1.5 m in eight plots in abandoned cornfields with initial fallow age of 1–5 yr, in SE Mexico. Shade-tolerant species established in the first years of succession, albeit in low numbers. As predicted, recruited and dead trees differed in species richness and composition, and in shade-tolerant frequency. In contrast to our expectations, over 50 percent of recruits were from pioneer species, as high stand-level mortality opened new opportunities for continued pioneer colonization. Species turnover starts very early in succession but is not always a gradual and continuous process, complicating prevailing succession models. The strong spatial and temporal variability of succession emphasizes the need to monitor these dynamics in permanent plots across a range of initial stand ages, with multiple plots in a given age class.     

Species richness and species turnover in a successional heathland

Abstract. Changes in species richness and species turnover during secondary succession following experimental disturbance were studied in eight permanent plots in a species‐rich dry heathland in the southern part of the Czech Republic. The treatments applied were sod‐cutting, burning, cutting of above‐ground biomass, and control. The plots were sampled annually between 1992 and 2000; species richness was analysed at three scales, 25 cm × 25 cm, 1 m × 1 m, and 3 m × 3 m. Disturbances resulted in increased species richness. The highest vascular plant richness was attained during the secondary succession after sod‐cutting, where species established on exposed bare ground. Less severe disturbances by burning and cutting also caused a slight increase in the number of vascular plant species. For bryophytes and lichens, the highest increase in the number of species was also found in the sod‐cut plots, where all cryptogams were removed by the disturbance. At the scale of 3 m × 3 m, species richness of both vascular plants and cryptogams peaked in 1995–1996, i.e. 3–4 yrs after the disturbance, and slowly decreased or slightly fluctuated without any trend thereafter. At smaller scales it either peaked later or constantly increased over the entire observation period of 9 yrs. Species mobility, expressed as species accumulation over time, was lower than reported from grasslands. Rates of species turnover, calculated as Jaccard dissimilarity between pairs of consecutive years, corresponded across different scales. This implies that successional dry heathlands have a higher small‐scale mobility than heathlands which are apparently stable at larger scale.     

The effects of windthrow on plant species richness in a Central European beech forest

The effects of soil disturbance caused by the uprooting of a single or a few canopy trees on species richness and composition of vascular plant species and bryophytes were examined in a temperate beech forest (Fagus sylvatica) in northern Germany. We recorded the vegetation in 57 pairs of disturbed and adjacent undisturbed plots and established a chronosequence of mound ages to study the effect of time since microsite formation on plant species richness and composition. We found significant differences in plant species richness and composition between disturbed and adjacent undisturbed plots. Species richness of both vascular plants and bryophytes was higher in the disturbed than in the undisturbed plots, but these differences were more pronounced for bryophytes. We suggest that three main factors are responsible for this differential response. The availability of microsites on the forest floor that are suitable for the recruitment of bryophytes is lower than for vascular plants. Establishment of bryophytes in disturbed microsites is favoured by a greater abundance of propagules in the close vicinity and in the soil of the disturbed microsites, as well as by a greater variety of regeneration strategies in bryophytes than in vascular plants. Time since mound formation was a major factor determining plant species richness and composition. A significant decrease in the mean number of species was found from young mounds to intermediate and old mounds. However, differences were observed between vascular plants and bryophytes in the course of changes through time in species richness and composition. A large number of exclusive and infrequent vascular plant species was observed on young mounds, among them several disturbance specialists. We suggest that the establishment of many vascular plant species was infrequent and short-lived due to unfavourable light conditions and a low abundance of propagules. By contrast, the development of a litter layer was the main reason for the decreased mean number of bryophytes on old mounds. Our study supports the view that groups of species differing in important life history traits exhibit different responses to soil disturbance.     

Collembola as bioindicators of restoration in mined sand dunes of Northeastern Brazil

Opencast mining causes severe environmental impacts by removing the vegetation cover and depleting the fauna. Reforestation methods using native species and diverse pre- and post-disturbance approaches aim to recover the original richness and diversity of species found before the impact. Bioindicators are powerful tools to evaluate the restoration of the original environmental conditions in disturbed areas. We used species richness, endemism and diversity measurements of Collembola to compare successional stages in reforested sites of different ages compared with a control undisturbed area. Richness and abundance of Collembola were subjected to correlation analysis with age of plots and vegetational variables. Areas that were reforested for up to 16 years supported a much lower Collembola species richness than undisturbed areas. Both the age of reforestation plots and vegetation variables (number of trees, diameter of crowns, depth of leaf litter and tree species richness) were positively and significantly correlated to collembolan abundance and richness. The results showed that the diversity of the 16-year-old plot was significantly higher than that of younger areas, but significantly less diverse than that of the control area. Endemic species were more sensitive to disturbance than non-endemics. Thus, species richness and diversity of soil Collembola can be only partially restored with appropriate reforestation methods, and although it takes many years, to some extent even endemic species can be gradually restored. Nevertheless, the maintenance of undisturbed diversity reservoirs linked by ecological corridors to reforested plots is imperative, as only undisturbed areas can support most of the endemic species able to re-colonize reforested sites.     

Feral pigs in a temperate rainforest ecosystem: disturbance and ecological impacts

Feral pigs (Sus scrofa) are a widespread invasive species, and cause biotic disturbance. This study evaluated the impacts associated with ground disturbance by feral pigs in the North Island of New Zealand. Exclosure cages were erected over feral pig-disturbed ground and visually undisturbed ground (the latter as controls). Buried resin bags and litter bags were located in these plots to examine differences in soil nutrients and decomposition rates and seedling/sapling recruitment (abundance, species composition and richness) was monitored over 21 months. No difference was found in the litter decomposition between the disturbed and visually undisturbed plots. Significantly more nitrate (NO₃-N/NO₂-N) was found in the disturbed exclosures. Seedling density was not significantly affected by feral pig disturbance. However, seedling/sapling species richness was lower in disturbed areas. Species composition changes occurred at disturbed sites with species increasing and decreasing in density after feral pig disturbance. However, no pattern was observed between species that were negatively affected by feral pig disturbance. This study shows that feral pig disturbance affects vegetation through direct removal, but also indirectly through increased nitrate, potentially leading to seedling and sapling species composition changes. Feral pigs are known to return to previously disturbed areas to re-disturb. These areas may remain in a re-disturbed state if not protected, and through continued disturbance and increased nitrate, ecosystem changes may occur, especially in characteristically nutrient poor environments.     

Community composition and tree population structure in a sub-tropical broad-leaved forest along a disturbance gradient

Floristic composition, diversity, dominance and distribution pattern of species and tree population structure were studied in three stands of a sub-tropical wet hill broad-leaved forest of Meghalaya, India, along a disturbance gradient. Tree species diversity declined with increasing disturbance. Disturbed stands showed low equitability or high dominance and the undisturbed stand exhibited high equitability or low dominance. Contagious distribution among the tree species increased with increasing intensity of disturbance. Species showing regular distribution were restricted only to the undisturbed stand. Effect of disturbance on tree population structure was analysed using density-diameter curves. In the disturbed stands tree species showed reverse J-shaped and/or negative exponential curves, while those in the undisturbed stand exhibited sigmoid to bimodal mound shaped curves.     

Functional response of lignicolous fungal guilds to bark beetle deforestation

Conifer-dominated forests in the northern hemisphere are prone to large-scale natural disturbances, yet our understanding of their effects beyond changes in species diversity is limited. Bark beetle disturbances provide dead wood for lignicolous fungal guilds and increase insolation but also desiccation. We investigated whether species richness of these guilds increases and functional diversity decreases after bark beetle disturbance, which would promote through habitat filtering the coexistence of species adapted to harsh conditions, i.e. light stress for lichens and substrate desiccation for wood-inhabiting fungi.We sampled epixylic and epiphytic lichens (primary producers) and wood-inhabiting fungi (mainly wood decomposers, some form ectomycorrhizas) in the Bohemian Forest (Long Term Ecological Research – LTER – Site Bavarian Forest National Park), an area in Central Europe most heavily affected by the bark beetle Ips typographus, on undisturbed plots and disturbed plots with spruce (Picea abies) dieback 8 years ago. We analysed species diversity, functional diversity (optimized by phylogeny), and functional compositions.Species richness of lichens but not that of wood-inhabiting fungi was higher on disturbed plots than on undisturbed plots. Community compositions of both guilds differed considerably on disturbed and undisturbed plots. On both types of plots, lichen communities were clustered according to functional diversity, which indicated habitat filtering, and fungal communities were overdispersed, which indicated competition. Disturbance increased the strength of these two patterns only slightly and was significant only for fungi. Single-trait analysis revealed changes in the functional composition; on disturbed plots, lichenous species with larger and more complex growth forms and fungi with large, perennial fruit bodies were favoured. Although the forest canopy changed tremendously because of the bark beetle disturbance, the most important driver of lichen and fungal diversity and mean trait assemblages seemed to be the enrichment of dead wood. The changes in insolation and moisture did not act as habitat filters for either guild. This indicated that the assembly patterns of lichen and fungal communities in coniferous forests are not affected by stand-replacing disturbances in contrast to the predictions for other disturbance regimes.     

Environmental Heterogeneity Influences Successional Trajectories in Colombian Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests

Environmental characteristics have a major effect on the species composition of seasonally dry tropical forest. However, this effect has been little considered when describing secondary succession of this ecosystem. We tested the hypothesis that local environmental heterogeneity influences successional trajectories when high species richness is available. Changes in species composition and structure were described in 126 vegetation plots differing in successional stage and located along a topographical and soil nutrient gradient. Variation in community composition was partitioned between successional stage, environmental characteristics, and spatial structure using redundancy analyses. In addition, relationships between plot distance matrices for these factors were analysed by means of Mantel tests. High species turnover was observed during succession and species composition similarity was higher among late successional forest than among early and intermediate forests. A higher portion of variation in species composition was explained by environmental characteristics compared to successional stage, whereas the spatial structure of the data was weak. Our results suggest that in the region of study, variation in the successional trajectories is occurring owing to environmental heterogeneity, as well as to human disturbance and other unmeasured processes.     

Effects of disturbance intensity and frequency on early old‐field succession

Abstract. Early old‐field succession provides a model system for examining vegetation response to disturbance frequency and intensity within a manageable time scale. Disturbance frequency and intensity can interact with colonization and competition to influence relative abundance of earlier and later successional species and determine, respectively, how often and how far succession can be reset. We tested the joint effects of disturbance frequency and intensity on vegetation response (species richness, abundance, canopy structure) during the first six years of succession by clipping the dominant species (D) or all species (T) in spring and fall of each year (S), once per year in summer (Y1), each two years in summer (Y2), or each four years in summer (Y4). Vegetation response reflected disturbance effects on expansion of a later monospecific dominant perennial herb, Solidago altissima, and persistence of the early, richer flora of annuals. A more abundant and taller top Solidago canopy developed on plots clipped each 2 yr or less frequently. Plots clipped yearly or seasonally were richer, but had less abundant, shorter, and differently stratified canopy. Disturbance mediated the relative abundance of early and later successional species; however, frequency and intensity effects were not completely congruent. Persistence of a richer early successional flora increased through the most frequent disturbance (S), and was magnified by disturbance intensity. Disturbance as extreme as clipping all vegetation twice yearly did not cause a drop in species richness, but maintained the early successional community over the first six years of succession. We conclude that clipping disturbance influenced the rate of succession, but the early community could rebound through the range of disturbance frequency and intensity tested.     

Experimental analysis of patch dynamics and community heterogeneity in tallgrass prairie

Effects of fire and small-scale soil disturbances on species richness, community heterogeneity, and microsuccession were investigated in a central Oklahoma tallgrass prairie. In the fall of 1985, 0.2 m² soil disturbances were created on burned and unburned tallgrass prairie. Vegetation on and off disturbances was sampled at monthly intervals over two growing seasons. During the first growing season, the cover of forbs and annuals, and species richness were significantly greater on versus off disturbances, but these differences did not persist through the second year. The variation in species composition among disturbed plots (heterogeneity) was significantly greater compared to undisturbed areas throughout the study. Fire had no consistent effect on richness and heterogeneity of vegetation on soil disturbances but fire reduced heterogeneity on undisturbed vegetation. Rate of succession, based on an increase in cumulative cover of perennial grasses over time, did not differ among treatments during the first growing season. During the second year, rate of succession was significantly greater on burned soil disturbances compared to unburned soil disturbances. These results suggest that while small-scale soil disturbances have primarily short-lived effects on grassland community structure, disturbances do help to maintain spatial and temporal variation in tallgrass prairie communities. Unlike in undisturbed vegetation, however, species richness and heterogeneity on soil disturbances were little effected by fire, but the rate of colonization onto disturbances appeared to be enhanced by fire.     

Dynamic and static views of succession: Testing the descriptive power of the chronosequence approach

Chronosequence and permanent plot studies are the two most common methods for evaluating successional dynamics in plant communities. We combined these two approaches by re-sampling an old-field chronosequence at Cedar Creek Natural History Area (Minnesota, USA) to: (1) measure rates of secondary succession; and (2) to test the ability of the chronosequence approach to predict actual successional dynamics over a 14-year survey interval. For each of 19 chronosequence fields we calculated four complimentary indices of succession rate for community changes that actually occurred within each of these fields between 1983 and 1997. We found that measures of compositional dissimilarity, species turnover, and the change rates of perennial and native species cover over this 14-year period were all negatively correlated with field age, indicating that the rate of successional change in these old-fields generally declines over time. We also found that data collected from the initial static chronosequence survey (1983) accurately predicted many of the observed changes in species abundance that occurred between 1983 and 1997, but was a poor predictor of changes in species richness. In general, chronosequence re-sampling confirmed the validity of using the chronosequence approach to infer basic patterns of successional change.     

The relationship between soil seed bank,above‐ground vegetation and disturbance intensity on old‐field successional permanent plots

Questions: How does disturbance and successional age influence richness, size and composition of the soil seed bank? What is the potential contribution of the soil seed bank to the plant community composition on sites differing in their successional age or disturbance intensity? Location: Experimental Botanical Garden of Göttingen University, central Germany. Methods: Above‐ground vegetation and soil seed bank were studied on formerly arable fields in a 36‐year‐old permanent plot study with five disturbance intensities, ranging from yearly ploughing via mowing to long‐term uninterrupted succession. We compared species compositions, seed densities and functional features of the seed bank and above‐ground vegetation by using several methods in parallel. Results: The seed bank was mainly composed of early successional species typical of strongly disturbed habitats. The difference between seed bank composition and above‐ground vegetation decreased with increasing disturbance intensity. The species of greatest quantitative importance in the seed bank was the non‐native forb Solidago canadensis. Conclusions: The ability of a plant community to regenerate from the soil seed bank dramatically decreases with increasing time since abandonment (successional age) and with decreasing disturbance intensity. The present study underlines that plant species typical of grasslands and woodlands are limited by dispersal capacity, owing to low capacity for accumulation of seeds in the soil and the fact that most species do not build up persistent seed banks. Rare and target species were almost absent from the seed bank and will, after local elimination, depend on reintroduction for continuation of their presence.     

Is the productivity of vegetation plots higher or lower when there are more species? Variable predictions from interaction of the ‘sampling effect’ and ‘competitive dominance effect’ on the habitat templet

Using a habitat templet model, we predict that the productivity (total biomass) of plots within a plant community may be positively, negatively or not at all related to variation in the number of species per plot, depending on successional stage (time since major disturbance) and habitat carrying capacity (reflecting the total resource supplying power of the habitat). For plots of a given size, a positive relationship between productivity and species richness is predicted in recently disturbed habitats because local neighbourhoods here will have been assembled largely stochastically, usually from a pool of available species with a right‐skewed size frequency distribution. Hence, in the earliest stages of succession, plots will have relatively high total biomass only if they contain at least some of the relatively uncommon larger species which will, in turn, be more likely in those neighbourhoods that contain more species (the sampling effect). Among these will also be some of the more common smaller species; hence, these high biomass, species‐rich plots should have relatively low species evenness, in contrast to what is predicted under effects involving species complementarity. In late succession, the plots with high total biomass will still be those that contain relatively large species but these plots will now contain relatively few species owing to increased competitive exclusion over time (the competitive dominance effect). In intermediate stages of succession, no relationship between plot productivity and species richness is predicted because the opposing sampling and competitive dominance effects cancel each other out. We predict that the intensity of both the sampling and competitive dominance effects on the productivity/species richness relationship will decrease with decreasing habitat carrying capacity (e.g. decreasing substrate fertility) owing to the inherently lower variance in between‐plot productivity that is predicted for more resource‐impoverished habitats.     

Rate of succession in restored wetlands and the role of site context

Question: Are changes in plant species composition, functional group composition and rates of species turnover consistent among early successional wetlands, and what is the role of landscape context in determining the rate of succession? Location: Twenty‐four restored wetlands in Illinois, USA. Methods: We use 4 years of vegetation sampling data from each site to describe successional trends and rates of species turnover in wetlands. We quantify: (1) the rate at which composition changes from early‐successional to late‐successional species and functional groups, as indicated by site movement in ordination space over time, and (2) the rate of change in the colonization and local extinction of individual species. We correlate the pace of succession to site area, isolation and surrounding land cover. Results: Some commonalities in successional trends were evident among sites. Annual species were replaced by clonal perennials, and colonization rates declined over time. However, differences among sites outweighed site age in determining species composition, and the pace of succession was influenced by a site's landscape setting. Rates of species turnover were higher in smaller wetlands. In addition, wetlands in agricultural landscapes underwent succession more rapidly, as indicated by a rapid increase in dominance by late‐successional plants. Conclusions: Although the outcome of plant community succession in restored wetlands was somewhat predictable, species composition and the pace of succession varied among sites. The ability of restoration practitioners to accelerate succession through active manipulation may be contingent upon landscape context.     

Changes in the vegetation of Quercus pubescens woodland after cessation of coppicing and grazing

Abstract. The cessation of coppicing and grazing in Quercus woodlands, with its subsequent changes in the structure, composition and functioning of vegetation communities, is becoming more frequent throughout the Mediterranean Basin. In southern France, we have studied successional changes in Quercus pubescens woodlands by visiting previously studied sites 18 yr later. Changes in vertical structure, species richness, floristic composition, life form and dispersal type were analysed and compared between woodlands that had previously been grazed or ungrazed. Both successions showed a decline in vegetation cover in the 0–25 cm height class and in the height class immediately under the canopy layer, due to oak litter accumulation and tree ageing. In post‐grazing succession, the abandonment of grazing and associated burning has allowed the vegetation cover to increase in the 0.25‐2 m height class. In both successions, grassland species decreased in frequency and forest species increased, a trend which was stronger in undisturbed succession. Species richness decreased with time in the undisturbed succession, but remained stable in the post‐grazing succession mainly because of the slow decline of plants linked to grazing. In undisturbed succession, therophytes and hemicryptophytes decreased. In contrast, therophytes and hemicryptophytes remained stable in post‐grazing succession. In both successions, endozoochorous species (notably Ruscus aculeatus) increased. Plants dispersed by non‐animal vectors decreased in undisturbed succession, but stability was observed in most of the dispersal types in post‐grazing succession. These results showed that a time‐lag existed between undisturbed succession and post‐grazing succession, the latter remaining at a younger stage of successional development due to more recent impact of grazing. However, both successions have converged suggesting that most of the traces of grazing on vegetation will disappear within a few years. The vegetation of these coppices, regardless of the previous grazing regime, will become increasingly similar to the vegetation of undisturbed woodlands. However, their floristic composition will probably never be identical to that of undisturbed woodlands, mainly because of the rarity of these undisturbed woodlands and of the short‐distance dispersal of many forest plant species.