Abstract
Changes in vegetation composition after clear-cutting of pine forests were studied along two gradients: increasing moisture on acidic soil and increasing pH on dry soil. The changes in species frequencies after cutting were site-dependent; the behaviour in one location did not allow prediction of the dynamics of the same set of species in another location. On calcareous soil, the development of the communities in two sites of different type after clear-cutting was slightly convergent. The stands on wet acidic soil showed the smallest differences between mature and successional communities on the ordination biplot. On acidic soils, greater richness and diversity were characteristic of disturbed communities, especially in wetter sites. On calcareous soil, diversity decreased after cutting, but richness did not change much. The site-dependent successional dynamics of pine forest plant communities can be explained by the historical factors shaping the local species pool. This conclusion is supported by differences in distribution type spectras between the communities.