Survey and assessment of vegetation in the CONECOFOR permanent plots

Phytosociological knowledge of plant communities and their synecological allocation are the reference basis of the CONECOFOR Programme. Vegetation surveys are performed in all the CONECOFOR plots (28), and have been performed in most of them for 6-7 years, following two fundamental approaches: (1) phytosociological (plant community level) and (2) dynamical (population level). According to a syntaxonomical analysis, 17 plant communities are represented in the CONECOFOR permanent plots, grouped in three classes (Querco-Fagetea, Vaccinio-Piceetea and Quercetea ilicis). Analysis of species richness at community level shows that the total number of vascular species varies between 14 and 81, the lowest values occurring in beech forests and the highest in Turkey oak forests; spruce forests are divided into two groups, the first comprising the secondary type (with high diversity values) and the second comprising the primary type (with relatively low diversity values). Analysis of the main dynamical tendencies show that fluctuation is the commonest ongoing process (occurring mostly in beech and primary spruce forests). Regeneration is also widespread, following the recent general decline of wood exploitation and coppicing, whereas regression and degeneration have been identified only in a few plots. The first vegetation changes seen during the first 6-7 years of investigation are slight and of very low significance. The temporal variation, however, is generally positive, with a fair increase in the number of species. Further assessment is required to evaluate the ongoing trends.