RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article T1 Floristic and structural recovery of a laurel forest community after clear-cutting: A 60 years chronosequence on La Palma (Canary Islands) A1 Bermúdez, Alfredo Manuel A1 Fernández-Palacios, José María A1 González Mancebo, Juana María A1 Patiño, Jairo A1 Arévalo, José Ramón A1 Otto, Rüdiger A1 Delgado, Juan Domingo K1 forest management K1 laurel forest K1 species composition K1 structure K1 secondary succession K1 manejo forestal K1 laurisilva K1 composición de especies K1 estructura K1 sucesión secundaria AB We analyzed a post-clearcut chronosequence (0.5 to 60 years after harvesting) in the laurel forest of La Palma island (Canarian Archipelago) to determine the recovery of the stands with respect to species composition, richness, life strategies and structural parameters of the canopy. Multivariate analysis showed that exotic species, as well as annual ruderal species were confined to early-successional stages, while native perennials, typical of laurel forests, dominated the late-successional stages. Total species richness decreased significantly with time after clear-cutting. The relative fast recovery of understory native species may be due to low forest floor disturbance during harvesting. Shade-intolerant pioneer, pioneer-remnant and shade-tolerant late-successional species were the main life strategies of native tree species. Most structural parameters showed a continuous and monotonic increase(basal area, biomass) or decrease (density, percentage of photosynthetic biomass) during succession. Once clear-cutting, here performed with an intervalof 8 years, is abandoned, the recovery of the laurel forest seems possible due to careful logging that protects the soil and a rapid asexual regeneration of native tree species, revealing this to be a sustainable management practice. PB Springer Verlag YR 2007 FD 2007 LK http://riull.ull.es/xmlui/handle/915/18175 UL http://riull.ull.es/xmlui/handle/915/18175 LA en DS Repositorio institucional de la Universidad de La Laguna RD 03-dic-2024