Compared to deciduous forest associations, long-term investigations of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) forests in Central Europe are scarce and their succession dynamics are not well studied. Although being the most fire-prone forest type in Central Europe, there is also a lack of data on the long-term effects of forest fires on the vegetation of Central European Scots Pine forests. Additionally, pine stands are highly vulnerable to eutrophication, strongly altering vegetation. Therefore, we studied near-natural, fire-affected Scots pine forests (Leucobryo-Pinetum) within Saxon Switzerland National Park (Saxony federal state, Germany) by permanent observation plots. Plots where surveyed by vegetation releves repeated up to four times. Based on the date of the relevant fire events and the year of plot establishment, we analysed three time series (A: 1963-2012, fire 1948/1953); B: 2002-2014, fire: 1993; C: 2002-2014, fire: 2000). Unexpectedly, we found low variation in plant diversity and a low species turnover across the time series. Only few species where propagated by the forest fire events in the short run, few species showed significant cover variations depending on the time passed since the forest fire. Nitrophytic species where nearly absent. The low eutrophication signal in the vegetation is attributed to nitrogen deposition rates below critical rates for species turnover. Compared to Scots pine plantations and Scots pine forests originating from extensive management, near natural stands of the Leucobryo-Pinetum appear as a relatively stable forest type, which is only shortly affected by local forest fires and underlies stagnant succession dynamics in the long run.
