Abstract
Wind disturbances are the main driver of forest dynamics in Europe, shaping forest stands and modifying the ecosystem services (ES) provisioning. Salvage logging is the most common strategy adopted in post-disturbance management. Understanding natural regeneration dynamics including their interaction with the logging operations, is crucial to understand how forests are changing under climate change (CC) and to derive adequate adaptive post-disturbance management strategies. Thus, in this study, we analyse the natural regeneration dynamics in 148 areas damaged by storm Vaia (2018), the most significant windstorm of the last century in the Southern Alps. The aim was to analyse natural regeneration dynamics under different logging systems and to investigate influences of site characteristics and disturbance legacies on seedling emergence and density and seed dispersal. The sampling protocol consisted of one transect per area, perpendicular to one of the intact forest edges, and with a length of 80 m. Along the transect, we collected soil cover, natural regeneration density and deadwood quantity in four sample plots of 3 m radius each at distances of 0, 20, 40, and 80 meters from the edges. Regeneration composition was driven mainly by previous stand composition, with some exceptions depending on seed dispersal strategy. Distance from the edge significantly influenced the regeneration occurrence in large gaps (larger than 2 ha) and affected the browsing damage percentage, together with deadwood presence. According to GLM’s models, distance from the edge, soil as a substrate, edge structure, and logging methods influenced regeneration establishment. At the same time, elevation, species characteristics, and logging damages corresponded mostly with early regeneration. In conclusion site factors, disturbance legacies, and logging methods are key points to consider in post-disturbance management strategies to re-establish the soil cover as fast and efficiently as possible.