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Spatial and temporal scales relevant for conservation of dead-wood associated species: current status and perspectives

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Abstract

Dead wood is a key substrate for forest biodiversity, hosting a rich and often threatened biodiversity of wood-living species. However, the relationship between the occurrence of dead wood and associated species is modified by several environmental factors. Here we review the present state of knowledge on how dead wood on different spatial and temporal scales affects saproxylic biodiversity. We searched for peer-reviewed studies on saproxylic species that compared dead wood distribution on at least two spatial or temporal scales. We scanned close to 300 articles, of which 34 fit our criteria. 20 studies were directed towards the current amount of dead wood at different scale levels and how this relates to the abundance or occurrence of saproxylic species, embracing scales from 10 m to 10 km. 14 studies compared time-lagged effects of dead wood, covering time-lags from 25 years to more than 200 years. The reviewed articles focused mainly on European forest and addressed invertebrates (mostly beetles), alone or in combination with fungi (27 articles), fungi (six articles), or lichens (one article). Although the significance of dead wood for forest biodiversity is firmly established, the reviewed studies show that we still have limited knowledge of the relationship between saproxylic biodiversity and spatial and temporal scales. Based on the reviewed studies, we conclude that there is large variation in response to spatial and temporal dead wood patterns between different taxa and sub-groups. Still, several of the reviewed papers indicate that time-lagged effects deserve more attention, especially on a landscape scale and for specialized or red-listed species. Further work is required before firm management recommendations can be suggested.

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Acknowledgments

Thanks to colleagues at INA, Univ. of Life Sciences, and at NINA for discussions and comments, to two anonymous reviewers for constructive and relevant suggestions, to Leonie Gough for checking the English language and to Tuva Sverdrup-Thygeson for assistance with illustrations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), P.O. Box 5003, 1432, Aas, Norway

    Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson

  2. Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Gaustadalléen 21, 0349, Oslo, Norway

    Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson

  3. Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7044, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden

    Lena Gustafsson

  4. School of Forest Sciences, University of Eastern Finland – Joensuu, PO Box 111, Yliopistokatu 7, 80101, Joensuu, Finland

    Jari Kouki

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  1. Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson
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Correspondence to Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson.

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Communicated by Jörg Brunet.

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Sverdrup-Thygeson, A., Gustafsson, L. & Kouki, J. Spatial and temporal scales relevant for conservation of dead-wood associated species: current status and perspectives. Biodivers Conserv 23, 513–535 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-014-0628-3

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