Ecological succession of bryophytes and lichens on mineral-soil habitats originated within windthrows (Kampinos National Park, central Poland)

Windthrows are common, natural disturbances in forest ecosystems. One of the effects of these disturbances is the exposure of mineral soil, which is gradually colonised by plants and other organisms via secondary succession. The aim of this research, conducted in the windthrows in the Kampinos National Park (central Poland), was to determine the changes in composition, richness, and abundance of the bryophytes and lichens inhabiting the mineral habitats of uprooted trees and to identify the level of its distinctiveness from the surrounding forest floor. The largest number of species (28) was found in pits; fewer species were found on the lower part of the uproot mounds (21), and in the vicinity of the uprooted trees (16). Many species differed in abundance and in their fidelity to the selected habitat types. Significant changes in the species richness and composition of the habitat types were observed between the first and third year after the dis??? turbance. A large number of species inhabited the pits, and there was a gradual increase in the lower parts of the uproot plates. The communities of the pits and lower parts of the mounds were similar in the first year after the windthrow. After three years the pits became more similar to the undisturbed sites, whereas the opposite tendency was observed in relation to lower parts of the mounds. There were important differences in (a) condition between the studied habitats as estimated using ecological indicator values, and (b) the share of species with different types of growth forms and life strategies.