Assemblages of Vascular Plants on Logs and Stumps within 28-year-old Aspendominated Boreal Forests

This study examined the impact of logs and stumps on the understory composition of 28-yearold aspen-dominated boreal forests. Suitable logs covered more than five times the area of stumps in both harvest and wildfire stands. Logs and stumps were colonized by a significantly different assemblage of vascular plants than the forest floor. Initial colonization patterns on dead wood in both wildfire and harvest stands were similar. However, as dead wood decayed, assemblages of vascular plants diverged and became more similar to their respective forest floor assemblages. Regenerating trees and shade tolerant forbs were disproportionately more abundant on logs and stumps, while grasses, shrubs, and shade intolerant forbs were disproportionately more abundant on the forest floor.