The majority of plant species within northern temperate deciduous forests are restricted to the herbaceous layer, which also plays an important role in many ecosystem-level processes. Northern temperate deciduous forests are among the more heavily impacted of the major forested biomes worldwide, primarily because of their adjacency to industrialized population centers. Thus, conserving biodiversity and ecosystem function within these forests necessitates a mechanistic understanding of the influence of anthropogenic disturbance on herb-layer plant communities. Anthropogenic disturbances that threaten temperate deciduous forests range from excessive nitrogen deposition, increases in carbon dioxide and associated climate change, and the introduction of exotic species to acute disturbances such as timber harvesting and alteration of flooding regimes through the damming of rivers. Characterizing the effects of anthropogenic disturbances within a general, theoretical framework would be beneficial not only for understanding, but also for mitigating human impacts. How do these anthropogenic regimes differ from the natural disturbance regimes under which forest communities have assembled? Which disturbances are most deleterious, and how can managers mitigate such impacts? Can the original patterns and processes be restored? This symposium examines the challenges of characterizing the effects of varying anthropogenic disturbance regimes on forest ground-layer plant communities. Our goal is to produce a synthetic framework under which we can evaluate the effects of varying disturbances. Contributors have experience examining ground flora in north-temperate deciduous forests, allowing synthesis of knowledge from independent studies and experience to address questions related to the preservation, conservation and restoration of the herb layer.