Green-tree retention aims at maintaining biodiversity while harvesting timber, but knowledge of its efficiency is still limited. Green-tree retention may function as a ‘life-boat’ for organisms, maintain structural features, or create stepping-stones in the harvested landscape. The aim of this study is to determine whether larger retention-tree groups established in clear-cuts maintain forest species better than smaller ones. We posed hypotheses for different habitat affinity groups of spiders and carabids, and tested them in Eastern Finland with 11 retention-tree groups, 0.09–0.55 ha in size (47–385 trees per tree group). Although some of the analysed species responded as expected, we did not find unambiguous support for the hypotheses that (1) species requiring forest and/or (medium-) moist habitat should be more abundant in larger retention-tree groups, (2) species requiring (semi-) open and/or (medium-) dry habitat should be more common in smaller retention-tree groups, and (3) species indifferent with respect to light intensity and moisture should be caught in equal numbers in all retention-tree groups irrespective of their size. However, the mean numbers of individuals of many forest species and/or species requiring (medium-) moist habitat decreased over the 3 years after logging in all retention-tree groups, whereas the mean numbers of many species of (semi-) open and/or (medium-) dry habitat increased over the 3 years after logging. Furthermore, species composition changed from the pre-treatment year for spiders. We conclude that green-tree retention is justified because (1) retention-tree groups tend to maintain some forest species, thereby mitigating the effects of clear-cutting, at least in the short term, (2) they provide dead wood, large old trees, and other structural features, and (3) there are gaps in our ecological knowledge that warrant the adoption of the precautionary principle. However, as there are economic costs associated with the establishment of retention-tree groups, their ecological benefits as compared to other approaches aimed at maintaining biodiversity should be assessed carefully.