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Forest Ecosystems
Fig. 5 | Forest Ecosystems

Fig. 5

From: Conceptual models of forest dynamics in environmental education and management: keep it as simple as possible, but no simpler

Fig. 5

Illustration of a “comprehensive conceptual model” of forest dynamics proposed by Kuuluvainen (2009), with three main categories or modes of forest dynamics, each of which is driven by a specific type of disturbance regime: (1) Even-aged dynamics, driven by repeated stand-replacing disturbances, (2) Cohort dynamics, driven by repeated partial disturbances, and (3) Gap dynamics, driven by tree mortality at a fine scale (Fig. 5). In directional succession, a forest can go through these modes from even-aged dynamics after stand-replacing disturbance to cohort dynamics driven by partial disturbances to fine scale gap dynamics in old forests. On the other hand, each of the dynamics can also perpetuate if the driving disturbance regime type remains, or changed to another dynamics mode if the disturbance regime type changes

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