Immediate Effects of Logging, Mounding, and Removal of Logging Residues on Epixylic Species in Managed Boreal Norway Spruce Stands in Southern Finland

Abstract

The immediate effects of bioenergy harvesting methods on epixylic species were studied in mature managed Norway spruce dominated forests in southern Finland. The treatments included logging, residue harvesting, and soil preparation as either mounding or mounding combined with stump harvesting. Altogether, 110 logs and 440 species sample plots on logs were inventoried before and after logging, and after soil preparation treatments. Logging decreased the cover and species richness in all epixylic species groups. The soil preparation decreased the cover of macrolichens, while stump harvesting was significantly most devastating both for cover and richness in bryophytes. We suggest that bioenergy harvesting critically affects the epixylic species, and therefore the use of less devastating methods and compensation for the loss of coarse woody debris is recommended on a landscape level.

Experimental evidence on biodiversity impacts of variable retention forestry, prescribed burning, and deadwood manipulation in Fennoscandia

“…Site preparation affects epixylic mosses and lichens negatively (Hautala et al 2011;Rabinowitsch-Jokinen et al 2012; see also Tullus et al 2018Tullus et al , 2019. The effects of site preparation on substrates of these species (largesized CWD) depend on the site-preparation method and/or its intensity, but may cause up to 70% loss in the CWD volume (Hautala et al 2011).…”

“…In clear cuts, nearly 10% of the pre-treatment volume of CWD is destroyed by harvesting machinery, and subsequent disc trenching may destroy an additional 70% (Hautala et al 2004). Disc trenching may have destroyed 4-6 M m 3 of CWD during 1960-2000 in Finland alone (Hautala et al 2004), which has probably greatly contributed to the loss of saproxylic organisms, such as epixylic species (Rabinowitsch-Jokinen et al 2012). This method was the most common site preparation method in Finland until 2005, after which mounding has become more common (Anonymous 2014).…”