Reviewing the strength of evidence of biodiversity indicators for forest ecosystems in Europe

Gao, Tian; Nielsen, Anders Busse; Hedblom, Marcus

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2015.05.028

Cited by 156 publications

(135 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…This lack of conceptual clarity and scientific evidence is a weakness, as it hampers evidence-based conservation decisions. The lack of statistical evidence is not unique to fungi, but is a problem for biodiversity surrogates in many organism groups (Gao et al 2015).…”

Section: Critique and Testing Of Proposed Surrogate Schemesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The history and future of fungi as biodiversity surrogates in forests

2017

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Biodiversity surrogates are commonly used in conservation biology. Here we review how fungi have been used as such in forest conservation, emphasizing proposed surrogate roles and practical applications. We show that many fungal surrogates have been suggested based on field experience and loose concepts, rather than on rigorously collected scientific data. Yet, they have played an important role, not only in forest conservation, but also in inspiring research in fungal ecology and forest history. We argue that, even in times of ecosystem oriented conservation planning and molecular tools to analyze fungal communities, fruit bodies of macrofungi have potential as convenient conservation shortcuts and easy tools to communicate complex biodiversity for a broader audience. To improve the reliability of future fungal surrogates we propose a three step protocol for developing evidence based schemes for practical application in forest conservation.

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Section: Critique and Testing Of Proposed Surrogate Schemesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The history and future of fungi as biodiversity surrogates in forests

2017

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“…Deadwood volume and diversity are often used as biodiversity indicators (Gao et al 2015). From the point of view of organisms living in and feeding on deadwood, of great importance is the position of dead trees.…”

Section: Duration Of Conservation and The Share Of Standing Deadwoodmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deadwood volume in strictly protected, natural, and primeval forests in Poland

2018

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Standing and downed deadwood at different stages of decay provides a crucial habitat for a wide range of organisms. It is particularly abundant in unmanaged forests, such as strictly protected areas of national parks and nature reserves. The present work used the available data for such sites in Poland, analyzing a total of 113 studies concerning 79 sites to determine the causes contributing to variation in deadwood volume based on the duration of conservation, changes in deadwood volume over time (for those sites which were examined multiple times), elevation above sea level, forest type, stage of forest development, input of dead trees from the years preceding deadwood measurements, live tree volume, and the proportion of downed to standing deadwood). Depending on species composition and site altitude, most tree stands fell into one of four categories: subalpine spruce forests, montane beech-fir forests, low altitude beech-fir forests, or oak-hornbeam and riparian forests. The mean deadwood volume for all forest types amounted to 172.0 m 3 /ha. The mean volume of deadwood in montane beech-fir forests (223.9 m 3 /ha) was statistically significantly greater than in the other three forest types, for which it ranged from 103.5 to 142.5 m 3 /ha. A direct effect of the duration of conservation on deadwood volume was not identified. Nevertheless, analysis of repeated measurements on the same sample plots at 10-year intervals showed a consistent rise in mean deadwood volume. A linear regression model for all the analyzed factors reported from montane beech-fir forests and subalpine spruce forests showed that in addition to site altitude, another statistically significant variable was the input of dead trees (R 2 = 63.54%).

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“…The last several decades have seen a significant increase in scientific interest in deadwood and its ecological role in forest ecosystems [1]. As scientific knowledge surrounding deadwood has increased, so too has awareness of its importance as a structural element, with many countries now regarding deadwood as an important structural and functional component of forest ecosystems [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is of practical importance since the collection of data on threatened species is very time-consuming and expensive [15]. Since CWD was found to be strongly correlated with the presence of saproxylic beetles and fungal species [1] and likewise with bird diversity [16], it is often necessary to acquire reliable information about CWD volume. In fact, the amount of deadwood is a critical environmental proximity to each OGF were chosen for comparison.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Comparing the Quantity and Structure of Deadwood in Selection Managed and Old-Growth Forests in South-East Europe

Keren

Diaci

2018

Forests

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Abstract:The knowledge about the impact of selection silviculture on deadwood components is fairly scarce. This study compared two Dinaric old-growth forests (OGFs) with adjacent managed forests (MFs) in which the single-tree selection system has been applied for a century. The comparisons were made in terms of the current amounts of coarse woody debris (CWD), distribution of its decay stages, and diameter structure of different CWD types (snags, logs, stumps). The relationship between the volume of live and dead trees was also examined. In both OGFs and MFs, the most snags were found in the third decay stage, while the volume of logs and stumps increased from the first to fifth decay class. The study showed the clear advantage of OGFs over adjacent selection MFs in terms of CWD volume, whereas the basal area of live trees and growing stock were not always reliable indicators for distinguishing between MFs and OGFs. The diameter distribution of individual CWD types (snags, logs, stumps) also differed significantly between selection MFs and OGFs in all tested pairs. This fact, along with the significant differences in CWD volume, indicates that selection silviculture should be amended to incorporate practices that ensure more natural management of deadwood components.

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Reviewing the strength of evidence of biodiversity indicators for forest ecosystems in Europe

Cited by 156 publications

References 62 publications

The history and future of fungi as biodiversity surrogates in forests

The history and future of fungi as biodiversity surrogates in forests

Deadwood volume in strictly protected, natural, and primeval forests in Poland

Comparing the Quantity and Structure of Deadwood in Selection Managed and Old-Growth Forests in South-East Europe

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