Blädningsbrukets påverkan på biologisk mångfald : effekten på kärlväxters biodiversitet och specifikt förekomsten av blåbär

Sammanfattning: The utilization of the Swedish forest as a natural resource has intensified during the last decade, which has led to an increase in disturbances on the forest ecosystems as a result of clear cutting. The effect of forestry on species richness and species composition has a large impact on how well the biodiversity and ecological communities can function. The interest for continuous cover forestry has increased, especially for selection system, but studies examining the effect that this has on biodiversity is limited. This study seeks to increase the knowledge on how selection systems affect the biodiversity among vascular plants in the field layer, with extra focus on the key species bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.). This was measured through different biodiversity indexes: Species richness, Shannon-Wiener index, community evenness and the abundance of bilberry. The study took place on six sites in central Sweden and was consisted of an inventory in 2013, selective felling 2014, followed by a second inventory in 2018. Each site consisted of two adjacent areas: a control where no measure was taken, and one where selective felling was conducted. The study found no difference between the cut areas and the controls. The results indicate that selection systems can be seen as a suitable alternative to the more common rotation forestry system, regarding conservation of biodiversity. More studies are needed to examine the long-term effects of selective felling systems to be able to conclude how it effects biodiversity. The studies should preferably be more extensive and conducted on a larger time scale.