The influence of ground disturbance and gap position on understory plant diversity in upland forests of southern New England.

Highlights: [•] Gap position was the most important factor influencing groundstory species richness. [•] Underlying patterns of diversity and evenness within gaps was site specific. [•] Ground-disturbance was more influential on drier sandy sites. [•] Ground-disturbance was more pronounced earlier in the experiment. [•] Managers should encourage an intimate mixture of site preparation treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]