Bioparameters of selected herb species in High Tatra Mts. spruce ecosystems

Bioparameters of selected herb species were studied on five control (undamaged) and five bark beetles damaged parallel plots established in form of two vertical transects in the spruce ecosystems of Bielovodská valley (High Tatra Mts.). The most abundant life forms in the studied phytocoenoses were hemicryptophytes (65%), the least abundant geophytes (5%). According to significance of differences in the average length of shoots the sensitivity of herb species to different ecological conditions and calamitous changes of the spruce stands density is as follows: Homogyne alpina > Luzula sylvatica = Dryopteris dilatata > Oxalis acetosella. According to significance of differences in energy content the sensitivity of species was following: Luzula sylvatica > Oxalis acetosella > Dryopteris dilatata > Homogyne alpina > Vaccinium myrtillus. However, the mean values calculated for undamaged and for damaged plots were significantly different (P <0.05) only in the case of weight of Luzula sylvatica shoots.