Gillman et al. (2002): Use of artificial seedlings to estimate damage of forest seedlings due to litterfall and animals.

Gillman, L.N., Wright, S.D., & Ogden, J. 2002. Use of artificial seedlings to estimate damage of forest seedlings due to litterfall and animals. Journal of Vegetation Science 13: 635–640.

Artificial seedlings are often used to estimate seedling mortality due to non-trophic micro-disturbance such as litterfall and up-rooting. This study evaluated the use of artificial seedlings in five New Zealand forests. It was concluded that artificial seedlings could not be used to estimate mortality, and were vulnerable to a novelty response by animals. The value, however, of artificial seedlings is that they provide a good measure of litterfall disturbance potential that is independent of natural seedling clumping within litterfall safe-sites, and independent of species specific resistance to damage. Thus, they can be used to compare litterfall damage risk among microsites and forests.