ForestBIOTA data on deadwood monitoring in Europe

Abstract

Deadwood is a key ecological factor in forest ecosystems. Its occurrence is fundamental since it represents a microhabitat for hundreds of species of invertebrates, fungi, bryophytes, lichens, amphibians, small mammals and birds. In recent years, deadwood has been recognized as a relevant indicator for the assessment and monitoring of forest biodiversity. In this paper the methodology for surveying woody necromass proposed by the ForestBIOTA project under Regulation (EC) No 2152/2003 (Forest Focus) is described. The amount of deadwood found on 91 Intensive Monitoring Level II plot of the EU and ICP Forest condition monitoring programme range from 0 to 258 m³ ha⁻¹. In the examined areas, total deadwood volume does not differ significantly among forest types, due to the high intra-type variability. On the other hand, its distribution between coarse and fine necromass and among necromass components is highly dependent on forest types.

Key words:

• Coarse necromass
• biodiversity
• deadwood
• fine woody necromass
• forest inventory
• forest monitoring

Acknowledgements

This study was conducted within the context of the ForestBIOTA project under Regulation (EC) No 2152/2003 (Forest Focus), and coordinated at the Federal Research Centre for Forestry and Forest Products, Hamburg, Germany. The Authors wish to thank Richard Fischer (Federal Research Centre for Forestry and Forest Products, Hamburg, Germany) and all the other partners who participated in the ForestBIOTA project: Václav Buriánek (Forestry and Game Management Research Institute, Praha, Czech Republic), Annemarie Bastrup-Birk (Danish Forest and Landscape Research Institute, Hoersholm, Denmark), Hannu Raitio (Finnish Forest Research Institute, Parkano Research Station, Parkano, Finland), Erwin Ulrich (Office National des Fôrets, France), Ollivier Daillant (Observatoire Mycologique, Mazille, France), Ulrich Matthes, Joachim Block (Forschungsanstalt für Waldökologie und Forstwirtschaft, Trippstadt, Germany), Marcus Schmidt (Hessen Forst, Münden, Germany), Oliver Granke (Federal Research Centre for Forestry and Forest Products, Hamburg, Germany), Henning Meesenburg, Peter Mayer (Niedersächsische Forstliche Versuchsanstalt, Göttingen, Germany), Gerhard Raben (Landesforstpräsidium, Pirna OT Graupa, Germany), Claus Schimming (Ökologie-Zentrum, Kiel, Germany), Angela Steinmayer (Landesforstanstalt Eberswalde, Eberswalde, Germany), Lutz Genssler (Landesanstalt für Ökologie, Bodenordnung und Forsten, Leibnizstr, Germany), George Baloutsos (Institute of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems, Athens, Greece), Bruno Petriccione (Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry Policies, Conecofor Service, Rome, Italy), Gerard Grimberg (Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management & Fisheries, Wageningen, The Netherlands), Han van Dobben (Alterra, Wageningen, The Netherlands), Gerardo Sanchez Peña (Dirección General de Conservación de la Naturaleza, Madrid, Spain), Thomas Bucha, Jozef Vladovic, Roman Longauer, Jozef Istona (Forest Research Institute, Zvolen, Slovak Republic), Norbert Kräuchi, Silvia Stofer, Christoph Scheidegger (Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Birmensdorf, Switzerland), Igor Buksha (Monitoring and Certification Laboratory of Ukrainian Forest Research Institute, Kharkiv, Ukraine). We would like thanking also Luigi Portoghesi for his helpful comments on an earlier draft.