The Importance of Dead-Wood Amount for Saproxylic Insects and How It Interacts with Dead-Wood Diversity and Other Habitat Factors

Author(s):  
Sebastian Seibold ◽  
Simon Thorn
2008 ◽  
Vol 140 (4) ◽  
pp. 453-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
David W. Langor ◽  
H.E. James Hammond ◽  
John R. Spence ◽  
Joshua Jacobs ◽  
Tyler P. Cobb

AbstractSaproxylic insect assemblages inhabiting dead wood in Canadian forests are highly diverse and variable but quite poorly understood. Adequate assessment of these assemblages poses significant challenges with respect to sampling, taxonomy, and analysis. Their assessment is nonetheless critical to attaining the broad goals of sustainable forest management because such species are disproportionately threatened elsewhere by the reductions in dead wood generally associated with commercial exploitation of northern forests. The composition of the saproxylic fauna is influenced by many factors, including tree species, degree of decay, stand age, and cause of tree death. Wildfire and forest harvesting have differential impacts on saproxylic insect assemblages and on their recovery in postdisturbance stands. Exploration of saproxylic insect responses to variable retention harvesting and experimental burns is contributing to the development of prescriptions for conserving saproxylic insects in boreal forests. Understanding of processes that determine diversity patterns and responses of saproxylic insects would benefit from increased attention to natural history. Such work should aim to provide a habitat-classification system for dead wood to better identify habitats (and associated species) at risk as a result of forest management. This tool could also be used to improve strategies to better maintain saproxylic organisms and their central nutrient-cycling functions in managed forests.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ignazio Sparacio ◽  
Roberto Viviano

Saproxylic insects associated with old trees are seriously threatened in Europe and their habitat is severely decreased. Usually, old trees harbour a very diverse fauna of beetles with many rare species and red-listed saproxylic insect species. These insects live in the dead wood outside the tree (in branches or parts of the trunk), inside the tree hollows, in the debris, and in fungal fruit bodies. During 2019 we collected saproxylic beetles near Monte Carbonara (Madonie Mountains, Sicily, Italy) at 1800 meters above sea level. Particularly, we studied a very old still standing beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), t with numerous cavities and parts of the trunk fallen to the ground. Samples were collected by visually looking for beetles, on the ground and under leaves near the old beech, in its cavities and sifting the debris in the laboratory. Up to date the results include interesting beetle species such as Osmoderma cristinae Sparacio, 1994 (Cetoniidae), Byrrhus numidicus Normand, 1935 (Byrrhidae), Rosalia alpina (Linnaeus, 1758) and Morimus asper Sulzer, 1776 (Cerambycidae).


Author(s):  
Jogeir N. Stokland ◽  
Juha Siitonen ◽  
Bengt Gunnar Jonsson
Keyword(s):  

2020 ◽  
Vol 139 ◽  
pp. 139-152
Author(s):  
N Vázquez ◽  
A Frizzera ◽  
F Cremonte

A histological survey of the commercially edible mussels Mytilus platensis and M. chilensis from wild and cultivated populations along the coast of Patagonia, Argentina (42°00’ to 54°47’S), was carried out to determine their health status. Diagnostic results included 3 types of inflammatory responses (infiltrative, nodular, and encapsulation), disseminated neoplasia disease, 2 abnormal reproductive conditions (gonadal atresia and intersex), prokaryotic inclusions, protozoans, and metazoans. Pathogen prevalence and infection intensity among mussels of different sampling sites and between those of wild and cultivated populations were compared. Inflammatory responses were recorded in all mussels from all sites, while disseminated neoplasia only occurred in the most southern cultivated M. chilensis. Intracellular prokaryotic inclusions were broadly distributed in the mussels from both northern and southern Patagonian coasts. Ciliates showed the highest prevalence among wild mussels from the colder waters of Bahía Brown. Turbellaria were recorded at higher prevalence in cultured mussels (41.7%), and trematode metacercariae occurred exclusively in intertidal wild mussels. None of the parasites found appears to be a problem to the fishery or farming, although disseminated neoplasia should be monitored. In addition, we found that mytilid species coexisting with M. platensis (Aulacomya atra and Perumytilus purpuratus) at one location shared the same pathological conditions and parasites, which differed from those of M. platensis at a distant locality. These results suggest that pathological conditions and parasites were influenced more by ecological habitat factors than by the species of mussels present, based on similar parasite assemblages found among closely related mytilid hosts in the same geographical area.


2015 ◽  
Vol 166 (3) ◽  
pp. 129-134
Author(s):  
Roland Métral

Trends in windthrow management during the last 50 years in Lower Valais (essay) A review on the measures taken in forests hit by storms during the last 50 years reveals the mind-set behind the evolution of management operations. In the 1960s, to remove all dead wood in a stand was perfectly normal due to timber prices. Between 1984 and 1990, vast sums of money were pumped into the improvement of forest structures facing the threat of a general forest dieback. As a consequence, only few of the windthrow areas caused by storm Vivian remained with no intervention. Vivian also marked the beginning of manifold research activities and practical terrain examination in windthrow gaps. Conclusions of this first research phase resulted in a critical assessment of the windthrow areas caused by Lothar in 1999, considering different goals than systematic removal of damage wood and the prevention of bark beetle outbreaks. Since the 1990s, retaining timber after windthrow has been lively discussed, as well as the maintenance of the protection function against natural hazards and opportunities for biodiversity. Several handbooks were developed and successfully used for the planning and defining of top priority measures in damaged forests that resulted from disturbances in 2011 and 2012 in Lower Valais. These recent disturbances together with the certainty that storms will recur led to the formation of a task force in the canton Valais, aiming to organize both logistics and funds, as well as to define management priorities regarding a next hazard.


2016 ◽  
Vol 167 (2) ◽  
pp. 82-89
Author(s):  
Michael Bütler

Responsibility for forest-linked dangers: examples from legal practice According to the Forest Policy 2020 of the Federal Council the share of old and dead wood should increase in Swiss forests. On the one hand, this is connected to positive ecological effects but on the other, to dangers, responsibilities and liability risks. Recent court and administrative decisions relating to accidents due to typical forest hazards such as falling trees and branches illustrate the legal situation for forest owners and enterprises as well as for forestry professionals. In the wooded environment near buildings and equipment there are obligations for the safety of traffic and passers-by. However, these obligations are limited by the reasonableness of protective measures and the personal responsibility of forest users. In this paper, the liability issue is illustrated by three legal case studies. The cases are assessed by the author, and the essential legal basis for liability is briefly summarized.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 6075
Author(s):  
Ola Lindroos ◽  
Malin Söderlind ◽  
Joel Jensen ◽  
Joakim Hjältén

Translocation of dead wood is a novel method for ecological compensation and restoration that could, potentially, provide a new important tool for biodiversity conservation. With this method, substrates that normally have long delivery times are instantly created in a compensation area, and ideally many of the associated dead wood dwelling organisms are translocated together with the substrates. However, to a large extent, there is a lack of knowledge about the cost efficiency of different methods of ecological compensation. Therefore, the costs for different parts of a translocation process and its dependency on some influencing factors were studied. The observed cost was 465 SEK per translocated log for the actual compensation measure, with an additional 349 SEK/log for work to enable evaluation of the translocation’s ecological results. Based on time studies, models were developed to predict required work time and costs for different transportation distances and load sizes. Those models indicated that short extraction and insertion distances for logs should be prioritized over road transportation distances to minimize costs. They also highlighted a trade-off between costs and time until a given ecological value is reached in the compensation area. The methodology used can contribute to more cost-efficient operations and, by doing so, increase the use of ecological compensation and the benefits from a given input.


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