%0 Research article
%T Anthropogenic effects on understorey vegetation in Myrtillus type urban forests in southern Finland
%A Malmivaara, Minna
%A Löfström, Irja
%A Vanha-Majamaa, Ilkka
%D 2002
%J Silva Fennica
%V 36
%N 1
%R doi:10.14214/sf.568
%U https://silvafennica.fi/article/568
%X The growth of urban population in Finland has resulted in increased  fragmentation of urban forests and consequently increased recreational  pressure on these forests. The effects of fragmentation and trampling on  the ground and field layer vegetation were studied in mesic Myrtillus  type Norway spruce-dominated urban forest stands of varying size in the  greater Helsinki area. The number of residents living in the vicinity of  the forest stands was an important factor affecting the understorey  vegetation in urban forests. The cover of understorey vegetation in  urban forests was remarkably lower than in rural areas, especially the  ground layer cover, e.g. cover of Pleurozium schreberi, was  significantly lower in urban forests than in the reference areas. Thus,  the ground layer proved to be most susceptible to trampling. In the  field layer, the cover of dwarf shrubs, especially of Vaccinium  myrtillus, was lower in deteriorated than in undeteriorated urban forest  stands.