Role Of Dead Wood Research Articles

Functions of dead wood in forest ecosystem services

The article analyzes the functions and role of dead wood in the context of forest ecosystem services. The research was carried out by an analytical review of literary sources. A classification of the functions of dead wood is proposed, according to which the following main groups of functions are distinguished: supporting, habitat-providing, protective, resource and informational. Supporting — functions related to the main ecosystem processes. These include functions in the biological cycle of substances and energy, accumulation of nutrients and water, carbon deposition, regulation of ecosystem processes, and participation in soil-forming processes. The ecological functions of dead wood consist in providing habitats for species of flora and fauna, forming a substrate and a favorable environment for development, and preserving the biodiversity of forest ecosystems. Protective — functions aimed at the protection and preservation of certain components and processes of the ecosystem. They include control of surface runoff, soil protection, prevention of erosion and water protection functions. The resource functions of dead wood are the provision of natural resources that are used for human needs, including in industry, construction, other branches of production, as well as a fuel and energy source. The informational functions of dead wood are to provide opportunities for cognitive development, which are realized in a person’s acquisition of scientific and educational, cultural and artistic, spiritual and historical information. The proposed classification is schematic, since the division into function groups is based on the main functions of forest ecosystems in general. The ecological and protective functions of dead wood are interconnected, influencing each other, performing another new function. In the conditions of today’s global environmental challenges and awareness of the importance of dead wood as an important component of forest ecosystems, we consider the research of habitat-providing and informative functions of dead wood to be promising. At the same time, taking into account the current trend of switching to renewable energy sources, the importance of the resource functions of dead wood and its role in carbon deposition will be no less relevant. Ensuring a balance in the provision of deadwood ecosystem services is an important aspect of sustainable development.

The Forest Graveyard: The Importance of Dead Trees, Bark, and Water

The forest floor is the forest’s graveyard. There, broken branches and fallen trunks are laid to rest. However, this deadwood still has an important role to play. New deadwood is still covered in bark—a tissue that protects a living tree’s insides from the outside world. The bark makes it difficult for water to enter the dead tree. It repels the rain and dew, as if the dead tree still needs this protection. Since deadwood cannot rebuild its bark, the bark slowly breaks down over time. As the bark decomposes, rain and dew are no longer repelled, and the deadwood begins to store more and more water. Recent findings show that, as its bark disappears, the amount of water that can be stored by deadwood changes significantly. This role of deadwood on the forest’s water cycle has consequences for soils and the organisms living in deadwood.

Dead wood diversity in a Norway spruce forest from the Calimani National Park (Eastern Carpathians)

The role of dead wood in forests encompasses the preservation of biodiversity, the productivity, and the storage of carbon. In this study, we aimed to investigate the variation of the dead wood volume in a subalpine Norway spruce forests. Using a regular grid, the size of the wood, ordered in a five-class scale for snags and logs and a six-class scale for stumps, was recorded. The relationship between the dead wood volume and site respectively stand characteristics by some predictive factors (stand age, altitude, human influence and site productivity) was modelled using mixed linear/nonlinear models. Dead wood volume (74.3 m3·ha-1) accounted for 18.3% of the volume (live trees and dead wood). Regarding the dead wood only, snags amounted to 44.8% of the volume and logs and stumps amounted to 46.5, and 8.7%, respectively. Snags (57.5% of the total) and logs (42.8%), were most common in the 2nd decay class, while stumps were most common in the 6th (51.2%). The distribution of the number of dead wood pieces, in terms of diameter, was obtained according to the Meyer theoretical distribution for snags and to the Gamma theoretical distribution for logs and stumps. This study completes the dead wood database from Norway spruce forests in the subalpine area to find the common features across the Carpathians Mountains. It contributes to the understanding of the dead wood dynamics in a young National Park, considering the year of establishment, consists of forests where forestry work was carried out and stands that were exempt from cutting.

Pest categorisation of Anisogramma anomala.

Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Plant Health (PLH) Panel performed a pest categorisation of Anisogramma anomala, a well‐defined and distinguishable fungal species of the family Valsaceae. The pathogen is regulated in Annex IIAI of Council Directive 2000/29/EC as a harmful organism whose introduction into the EU is banned on plants of Corylus L., intended for planting, other than seeds, originating in Canada and the USA. The fungus is native to eastern North America and causes eastern filbert blight on cultivated hazel, Corylus avellana, as well as on wild hazel (Corylus spp.). In the 1960s, the disease spread on infected plant material to Oregon, where it then threatened US hazelnut production in the Willamette Valley. The pest could enter the EU via plants for planting. Hosts and favourable climatic conditions are common in the EU, thus facilitating establishment. The pest would be able to spread following establishment through infected plants for planting and ascospore dispersal. A. anomala leads to canopy and yield loss and can cause death of Corylus trees. Should the pathogen be introduced into the EU, impacts can be expected not just on hazel as a crop and as an ornamental but also in coppices and woodlands, where Corylus species provide an important habitat. In Oregon, scouting for cankers, therapeutic pruning and copious fungicide applications are reported to be necessary (but costly measures) to continue hazelnut production in the presence of the disease. Breeding for resistance led to the selection of resistant cultivars. The main knowledge gaps concern (i) the role of deadwood and cut branches as potential entry pathways and means of spread and (ii) the susceptibility of C. avellana cultivars and of Corylus spp. in the wild in the EU. The criteria assessed by the Panel for consideration as a potential quarantine pest are met. For regulated non‐quarantine pests, the criterion on the pest presence in the EU is not met.

Structure and Spatial Distribution of Dead Wood in Two Temperate Old-Growth Mixed European Beech Forests

Old-growth forests are often looked at as reference for close to nature silviculture, which aims to manage forests in a natural way. An important component of these forests is the large amount of deadwood they possess; the role of dead wood in the forest ecosystem has been well recognised. A detailed investigation of dead wood characteristics (the amount per stand, species, dead wood type, decay class, size and spatial distribution) was performed in two Romanian old-growth European mixed beech forests: Runcu Grosi Reserve (sessile oak-beech) and Sinca (silver fir-beech). Dead wood pieces were classified as belonging to one of seven dead wood types and one of five decay classes. The total amount of the dead wood was greater in Runcu Grosi (240.8 m3 ha-1) than in Sinca Forest (135.5 m3 ha-1). The majority of the dead wood in Runcu Grosi was composed of sessile oak (91.7%), whereas in Sinca Forest, the main dead wood species was silver fir (67.0%); both species exhibited higher values of probability density than beech, the second most important species. The dead wood exhibited much variation in tree size and in dead wood type, and covered the entire spectrum of decomposition classes. The main spatial pattern of all standing dead trees was random in both forests (over 55%), with a reduced participation of regularity and aggregation. The results of this investigation could be used as key values derived from natural conditions to enhance the biodiversity related to dead wood in managed temperate beech mixed forests.

The population of earthworms (Lumbricidae) in the main types of dark coniferous forests in Pechora-Ilych Nature Reserve

The population of earthworms has been studied in the main types of old-growth dark coniferous forests of Pechora-Ilych Nature Reserve (Komi Republic) that have not been subject to anthropogeniс impact for a long time. Ten species of earthworms have been identified. The greatest diversity (7 species), abundance, and biomass of earthworms has been revealed in the tall-grass fir–spruce forests. P. diplotetratheca had the greatest abundance. E. nordenskioldi nordenskioldi and E. atlavinyteae had the greatest biomass. The lowest species diversity (3 species), abundance, and biomass of earthworms have been found in the largefern, blueberry–green moss, and sphagnum–horsetail fir–spruce forests. The role of deadwood in maintaining the species diversity of Lumbricidae in dark coniferous forests has been demonstrated. The complexes of Lumbricidae have been considered in anthropogenically disturbed territories, where the following species with a habitat range to the south of the northern and middle taiga have been identified: L. rubellus, A. rosea, A. caliginosa caliginosa, and E. fetida.

Відмерла деревина у букових пралісах як комплекс мікросередовищ існування грибів

Phases and stages of the development of beech forests of Uholsk array of the Carpathians Biosphere Reserve were analyzed and stocks of dead wood in them were exemplified. 57 species of fungi on dead wood of beech were detected and identified. The role of dead wood, as the existence of micro fungi in beech forests, was learnt. Key words: dead wood, biodiversity, virgin forest, beech.

Site and stand effects on coarse woody debris in montane mixed forests of Eastern Italian Alps

The role of deadwood on biodiversity conservation of forest ecosystems is widely recognised. Interest on deadwood has increased in the last years, and forest management policy regards deadwood as indicator of sustainable forest management.This study took place in mixed montane forests in Eastern Italian Alps. The objective was to determine how past forest management, topography and forest structure influenced coarse woody debris (CWD) accumulation. 124 sampling points were established in four forest reserves, where time since active management activities ranges from 12 to more than 50 years. A multivariate analysis was performed to investigate the connections among site, stand characteristics, and CWD.Coarse woody debris volume in the reserves was similar to other forests withdrawn from regular management in last decades in central Europe. However, CWD stocking was much lower than in old-growth montane mixed forest. Both site and stand characteristics determined CWD accumulation. Elevation, basal area of living trees and human impact emerged as the most important factors. These aspects are connected with the accretion (density-dependent mortality) and the depletion (harvesting, decay) of deadwood in the stand. In the next decades we expect an increase of deadwood stocking, due to density-dependent mortality and disturbances.

Assemblages of wood-inhabiting fungi related to silvicultural management intensity in beech forests in southern Germany

Current silvicultural treatments in beech forests are aimed at achieving thick logs without discoloured hardwood. Therefore intensive thinning is applied already in younger stands with the objective of large-sized trunks at an age of 100 years. However, this approach bears the risk that dead wood structures and broken trees are completely removed from the forest. The impact of three different silvicultural management intensity levels on wood-inhabiting fungi over decades was investigated in a large beech forest (>10,000 ha) in southern Germany in 69 sampling plots: A Intensive Thinning and Logging with high-value trees, B Conservation-Oriented Logging with integration of special structures such as dead wood and broken trees and C Strict Forest Reserves with no logging for 30 years. The analysis of community showed marked differences in the fungus species composition of the three treatments, independent of stand age. The relative frequencies of species between treatments were statistically different. Indicator species for naturalness were more abundant at sites with low silvicultural management intensity. Fomes fomentarius, the most common fungus in virgin forests and strict forest reserves, is almost missing in forests with high-management intensity. The species richness seemed to be lower where intensive thinning was applied (P = 0.051). Species characteristic for coarse woody debris were associated to low management intensity, whereas species with a significant preference for stumps became more frequent with increasing management intensity. A total amount of dead wood higher than 60 m3/ha was found to enable significantly higher numbers of species indicators of naturalness (P = 0.013). In conclusion, when applying intensive silvicultural treatment, the role of dead wood needs to be actively considered in order to maintain the natural biocoenosis of beech forests.