Deadwood and tree microhabitat dynamics in unharvested temperate mountain mixed forests: A life-cycle approach to biodiversity monitoring

• Published in: Forest ecology and management Vol. 334; pp. 163 - 173
• Main Authors: Larrieu, L., Cabanettes, A., Gonin, P., Lachat, T., Paillet, Y., Winter, S., Bouget, C., Deconchat, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 01-12-2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Abies alba; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Betula; Biodiversity; Biological and medical sciences; Biological diversity; Dynamics; Environmental Sciences; Fagus sylvatica; Forest development phases; Forest management; Forest management. Stand types and stand dynamics. Silvicultural treatments. Tending of stands. Natural regeneration; Forestry; Forests; Fraxinus; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Microhabitats; Mountains; Picea abies; Prunus avium; Salix; Saproxylic taxa; Silvigenetic cycle; Sorbus; Stand types and stand dynamics. Silvicultural treatments. Tending of stands. Natural regeneration; Structural heterogeneity; Synecology; Terrestrial ecosystems; Trees; Silvigenetic cycle; Saproxylic taxa; Forest development phases; Structural heterogeneity; Microhabitat; Organic matter; Forest stand; Life cycle (environment); Xylophagous; Forest ecology; Physical environment; Biodiversity; Heterogeneity; Mountain; Surveillance; Dead wood; Forestry; Development; Habitat; Mixed forest stand; Saproxylic species; Mountain forest; SAPROXYLIC TAXA; STRUCTURAL HETEROGENEITY; FOREST DEVELOPMENT PHASES; SILVIGENETIC CYCLE
• ISSN: 0378-1127; 1872-7042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2014.09.007

•Temperate broadleaved and coniferous forests display similar deadwood dynamics.•Deadwood availability is roughly continuous throughout forest life cycle.•Microhabitat availability is roughly continuous throughout forest life cycle.•Early successional species play a significant role in stabilizing deadwood volume.
In forest ecosystems, conservation is often considered in the absence of any long-term dynamic perspective, yet dynamic processes extend over hundreds of years. Saproxylic taxa represent about 25% of the species diversity in temperate and boreal forests and they depend on both spatial and temporal continuity in the availability of deadwood and certain tree microhabitats. Our study focused on the dynamics of deadwood and tree microhabitats throughout the silvigenetic cycle in 32 unharvested European mountain mixed forests. Our dataset contained 178 plots classified into one of five forest development phases (regeneration, establishing, growing, culmination and disintegration). We analyzed how the amount and quality of deadwood and microhabitats varied according to the five phases. Contrary to expectations, deadwood and tree microhabitat availability remained more or less stable throughout the silvigenetic cycle, both in quantity and diversity. Furthermore, whether the forests were dominated by broadleaves or conifers, there were no significant differences in terms of deadwood or tree microhabitat dynamics. Pioneer (Betula spp., Salix spp.) and post-pioneer species (Fraxinus exelsior, Sorbus spp., Prunus avium) played an important role throughout the silvigenetic cycle by providing a diversity of deadwood when deadwood from the dominant species (i.e. Abies alba, Fagus sylvatica, Picea abies) was scarce. Understanding the dynamics of deadwood and tree microhabitats may help us provide a model for forest managers who intend to emulate natural forest dynamics and will also improve our understanding of the relationship between forest dynamics and biodiversity conservation.