PROTECTED LIVERWORT ODONTOSCHISMA DENUDATUM (MART.) DUMORT. COVER IS DEPENDENT ON MICROCLIMATE AND FOREST STAND AGE IN SOUTH-CENTRAL LATVIA CONIFEROUS FORESTS: CASE STUDY

Abstract

Sustainable species conservation and forest management are increasingly topical under increasing demand for forest related products, hence detailed knowledge about protected species ecology for multipurpose forestry. Bryophytes, particularly liverworts are excellent indicators of forest quality and they are significant part of biodiversity. The aim of our study was to understand protected liverwort Odontoschisma denudatum ecology in relation to substrate and forest stand scale variables in coniferous forests in Latvia. We studied O. denudatum on 25 dead logs that varied in diameter, decay class, length, height above ground, microtopography, stand age and area. We found that O. denudatum cover is higher in medium decay class and in older forest stands. Hence, the observed relationships suggest that the liverwort species is rather tolerant to studied variables within the stands it is present, upscaling of the study is still needed. We recommend also future monitoring of O. denudatum populations to follow up the species dynamics.