Replication Data for: Long-term effects of clear-cutting on understory plant communities in boreal forests

In this study we investigated the long-term effects of clear-cutting on vascular plants and bryophytes. Our study system consists oftwelve pairs of mesic spruce forests in southeastern Norway, with a previously clear-cut, but now mature stand and a near-natural forest within each pair. The near-natural forest sites had almost twice the cover of vascular plants than the mature, but previously clear-cut stands, despite similar standing volume and light availability. Overall, previous clear-cutting did not have long-term effects on species richness, but vascular plant species richness was more responsive to soil Ca, a key driver of plant communities, in the near natural forests. Likewise, the community composition showed a stronger association with soil chemistry in near-natural forests, suggesting that management alters natural drivers of understory communities. The long-lasting effects of clear-cutting was particularly pronounced for the keystone species bilberry, which was substantially less abundant in previously clear-cut stands.