The composition of the vegetation characterizes the plant community of a forest. The number of plants and plant species is a measure of the biodiversity and habitat function in the respective forest ecosystem and depends on the availability of light and other site characteristics. Certain indicator species provide insights into specific environmental influences, such as heavy metal, nitrogen or acid pollution or soil compaction. In addition to trees, herbaceous plants and shrubs play an important role in the dynamics of natural forest ecosystems, e.g., in the uptake and storage of nutrients and competition for light and water.

Assessed parameters:

• Stand structure
• Plant species
• Plant cover in the herb, shrub, moss, and tree layer 

 [1] Seidling, W., 2005. Ground floor vegetation assessment within the intensive (Level II) monitoring of forest ecosystems in Germany: chances and challenges. Eur J Forest Res 124, 301–312. doi:10.1007/s10342-005-0087-1