Detecting a change in diversity of vascular plants in the natural forest reserve "Gaisberg” - a comparison of a systematic and representative sample approach
Herfried Steiner, BFW - Federal Research Centre for Forests, Vienna (AT)
In 1997 the Natural Forest Reserve "Geißberg” in the Biosphere Park Vienna Woods was established. A vegetation survey which implements a systematic and a subjective sample approach documents a dominance of thermophile beech and oak-hornbeam forests. 20 years later a follow-up survey of these two approaches shows eventful vegetation dynamics within the abandoned forest. The essential findings consist in a significant decrease in frequency and abundance of vascular plant species. In this study the explanatory power of both designs will be compared and possibilities of synergetic potential will be considered.