The intermediate-disturbance hypothesis is a nonequilibrium
model of diversity postulating that maximum diversity is
provided by intermediate disturbance size, frequency and
intensity (Roberts and Gilliam, 1995). Species diversity should
increase with increasing levels of disturbance up to a point,
after which diversity declines. Based on this hypothesis, several
authors (Battles et al., 2001; Schumann et al., 2003) evaluated
the effect of management practices with different intensities on
species in various regions, concluding that intermediate
disturbances favour species diversity. However, the response
of biodiversity to silvicultural treatments is not well-studied in
the Mediterranean region, which is considered a biodiversity
hotspot and has been subjected to human impacts for centuries.