Spatial patterns of trees in natural forests of East‐Central Europe

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The analysis of spatial patterns is one of the ways to estimate the role of competition among trees in forest dynamics. Three hypotheses concerning distribution patterns in old‐growth stands were tested: (1) fine‐scale spatial patterns of trees are regular; (2) patterns do not differ significantly from a random distribution, and (3) spatial patterns at larger scales are clumped because of site heterogeneity. Old‐growth forest stands in Poland and the Czech Republic were analysed with a modified RipleyKfunction, using distribution maps of tree stems.Fine‐scale spatial patterns (with distances among trees not exceeding 15 m) were usually intermediate between random and regular. Trends towards a regular distribution occurred more often among dead than among live individuals. No significant relationships between tree species were found at smaller scales; however, at larger scales (distances from 15–25 m) negative associations between some species were found. This reflects site heterogeneity rather than any direct influence of one tree species upon another.