Wood-inhabiting fungi on pedunculate oak coarse woody debris in relation to substratum quantity and forest age

Wood-inhabiting fungi on pedunculate oak (<em>Quercus robur</em>) coarse woody debris (CWD) was investigated in 50 plots of 0.1 ha in oak stands of different ages in Lithuania. In maturing stands (50-120 years) the average volume of oak CWD was 4.7 m<sup>3</sup>/ha, and in mature stands (over 120 years) – 13.9 m3/ha. Both in maturing and mature stands, the greatest fraction of CWD consisted of fallen oak branches (81 % and 84 % respectively), whereas fallen trunks comprised about 10 % of the total units of CWD. In total 1350 records of 203 species (49 ascomycetes and 154 basidiomycetes) were collected during 2 years of investigation. Species richness and abundance increased significantly with the increase of volume and abundance of CWD. Higher species richness was detected in mature stands than in maturing ones. Wood-inhabiting species composition varied greatly at stand scale, and one third of all detected species occurred only in one plot. Red-listed fungi were found only in mature stands. We conclude that, even in managed oak stands, oak CWD maintains a rather diverse species composition of ascomycetes and basidiomycetes. However, the current practice of forestry in Lithuania of removing dying or dead wood of large volume, e.g. standing and fallen trunks, reduce the distribution of highly specialized, usually rare, and endangered fungi.

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Epixylic vegetation abundance, diversity, and composition vary with coarse woody debris decay class and substrate species in boreal forest

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/cjfr-2017-0283 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 48 (4) ◽

pp. 399-411 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Praveen Kumar ◽

Han Y.H. Chen ◽

Sean C. Thomas ◽

Chander Shahi

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Species Diversity ◽

Boreal Forest ◽

Plant Communities ◽

Coarse Woody Debris ◽

Woody Debris ◽

Percent Cover ◽

Diverse Range ◽

Decay Class ◽

Wide Range

Although the importance of coarse woody debris (CWD) to understory species diversity has been recognized, the combined effects of CWD decay and substrate species on abundance and species diversity of epixylic vegetation have received little attention. We sampled a wide range of CWD substrate species and decay classes, as well as forest floors in fire-origin boreal forest stands. Percent cover, species richness, and evenness of epixylic vegetation differed significantly with both CWD decay class and substrate species. Trends in cover, species richness, and evenness differed significantly between nonvascular and vascular taxa. Cover, species richness, and species evenness of nonvascular species were higher on CWD, whereas those of vascular plants were higher on the forest floor. Epixylic species composition also varied significantly with stand ages, overstory compositions, decay classes, substrate species, and their interactions. Our findings highlight strong interactive influences of decay class and substrate species on epixylic plant communities and suggest that conservation of epixylic diversity would require forest managers to maintain a diverse range of CWD decay classes and substrate species. Because stand development and overstory compositions influence CWD decay classes and substrate species, as well as colonization time and environmental conditions in the understory, our results indicate that managed boreal landscapes should consist of a mosaic of different successional stages and a broad suite of overstory types to support diverse understory plant communities.

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Bryophyte Conservation in Managed Boreal Landscapes: Fourteen-Year Impacts of Partial Cuts on Epixylic Bryophytes

Frontiers in Forests and Global Change ◽

10.3389/ffgc.2021.674887 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

Author(s):

Jeffrey Opoku-Nyame ◽

Alain Leduc ◽

Nicole J. Fenton

Keyword(s):

Species Composition ◽

Coarse Woody Debris ◽

Black Spruce ◽

Woody Debris ◽

Permanent Plots ◽

Old Growth ◽

Clear Cut ◽

Old Growth Forest ◽

Old Growth Forests ◽

Over Time

Clear cut harvest simplifies and eliminates old growth forest structure, negatively impacting biodiversity. Partial cut harvest has been hypothesized (1) to have less impact on biodiversity than clear cut harvest, and (2) to encourage old growth forest structures. Long-term studies are required to test this hypothesis as most studies are conducted soon after harvest. Using epixylic bryophytes as indicators, this study addresses this knowledge gap. Fourteen years after harvest, we examined changes in epixylic bryophyte community composition richness and traits, and their microhabitats (coarse woody debris characteristics and microclimate) along an unharvested, partial cuts and clear cuts harvest treatment in 30 permanent plots established in the boreal black spruce (Picea mariana) forests of northwestern Quebec, Canada. Our results were compared to those of an initial post-harvest study (year 5) and to a chronosequence of old growth forests to examine species changes over time and the similarity of bryophyte communities in partial cut and old growth forests. Coarse woody debris (CWD) volume by decay class varied among harvest treatments with partial cuts and clear cuts recording lower volumes of early decay CWD. The epixylic community was richer in partial cuts than in mature unharvested forests and clear cuts. In addition, species richness and overall abundance doubled in partial and clear cuts between years 5 and 14. Species composition also differed among treatments between years 5 and 14. Furthermore, conditions in partial cut stands supported small, drought sensitive, and old growth confined species that are threatened by conditions in clear cut stands. Lastly, over time, species composition in partial cuts became more similar to old growth forests. Partial cuts reduced harvest impacts by continuing to provide favorable microhabitat conditions that support epixylic bryophytes. Also, partial cut harvest has the potential to encourage old growth species assemblages, which has been a major concern for biodiversity conservation in managed forest landscapes. Our findings support the promotion of partial cut harvest as an effective strategy to achieve species and habitat conservation goals.

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Effect of Deadwood on Ectomycorrhizal Colonisation of Old-Growth Oak Forests

Forests ◽

10.3390/f10060480 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 480 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Jacek Olchowik ◽

Dorota Hilszczańska ◽

Roman Mariusz Bzdyk ◽

Marcin Studnicki ◽

Tadeusz Malewski ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Composition ◽

Ectomycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Coarse Woody Debris ◽

Short Distance ◽

Woody Debris ◽

Fungal Species ◽

Root Tips ◽

Soil C ◽

Soil Features ◽

Exploration Types

Although the importance of coarse woody debris (CWD) for species diversity is recognized, the effects of coarse woody debris decay class on species composition have received little attention. We examined how the species composition of ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM) changes with CWD decay. We describe ectomycorrhizal root tips and the diversity of mycorrhizal fungal species at three English oak (Quercus robur L.) sites. DNA barcoding revealed a total of 17 ECM fungal species. The highest degree of mycorrhizal colonization was found in CWDadvanced (27.2%) and CWDearly (27.1%). Based on exploration types, ectomycorrhizae were classified with respect to ecologically relevant soil features. The short distance type was significantly correlated with soil P2O5, while the contact type was correlated with soil C/N. The lowest mean content of soil Corg was found in the CWDabsent site. The difference in total soil N between sites decreased with increasing CWD decomposition, whereas total C/N increased correspondingly. In this study we confirmed that soil CWD stimulates ectomycorrhizal fungi, representing contact or short-distance exploration types of mycelium.

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Quantity and decay stages of coarse woody debris in old-growth subalpine spruce forests of the western Carpathians, Poland

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x06-149 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 36 (10) ◽

pp. 2614-2622 ◽

Cited By ~ 39

Author(s):

Tomasz Zielonka

Keyword(s):

Coarse Woody Debris ◽

Woody Debris ◽

Time Since Death ◽

Average Volume ◽

Old Growth ◽

Carpathian Mountains ◽

Minimum Diameter ◽

Dead Trees ◽

Class 1 ◽

Cross Dating

The amount and decay stages of dead wood and the residence time of logs was studied in old-growth spruce-dominated stands in the Tatra and Babia Góra in the western Carpathian Mountains in Central Europe. The DBH of living trees and snags as well as the dimensions of logs (with a minimum diameter of 10 cm) were measured on nine sample plots with a pooled area of 4.3 ha. For the logs, the decay stage was identified according to an eight-level decay classification. Dendrochronological cross-dating was applied to 107 wood samples of logs to determine the time since death. The average volume of living trees was 454 m3/ha and the volume of coarse woody debris (CWD) averaged 191 m3/ha. The noted volume of CWD was higher than volumes reported from previous studies in the Carpathian Mountains. On average, CWD made up 30% of the total volume (living plus dead) and varied between 49% and 21% for the stands. The average age of logs for decay class 1 was 13 years and 24, 28, 38, 45, 38, and 60 years for decay classes 2–7, respectively. Considerable variation of time since death between decay classes was probably due to a variable time while dead trees remained standing as snags.

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Potential impacts of fire and grazing in an endangered ecological community: plant composition and shrub and eucalypt regeneration in Cumberland Plain Woodland

Australian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1071/bt02068 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 52 (1) ◽

pp. 23 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Sarah J. Hill ◽

Kristine French

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Species Composition ◽

Species Interactions ◽

Ecological Community ◽

Plant Composition ◽

Shrub Species ◽

Pre Treatment ◽

Species Richness And Abundance ◽

The Impact ◽

Canopy Species

Exclosure plots were used to determine the effect of fire and grazing on the structure of a grassy-woodland community. Eighteen months after fire and fence treatments were applied, the species richness, cover and composition of shrubs, trees, herbs and grasses were assessed and compared to pre-treatment censuses. Unburned plots had fewer shrub species and a lower abundance of shrubs, indicating the importance of fire in promoting regeneration of shrub species. Eucalypt species were more abundant and richer following the wildfire burn in summer, suggesting timing of fires is an important aspect in the establishment of the canopy species. Interactions between fire and grazing were found for the abundance of eucalypts (although weak) and resprouting eucalypts, suggesting a subtle interaction between fire and grazing shortly after fire. There was no effect of grazing and no interaction effect between fire and grazing on shrub species richness and abundance or tree species richness and seedling abundance.All plots showed a change in species composition despite treatment, and 46 species (32% of total richness) were recorded only in the final survey. The high rainfall during the 18-month study is likely to be an important factor in facilitating the establishment of species following all disturbances. This may have ameliorated the impact of grazing as abundant food was available throughout the woodland. The interaction between fire and grazing may be more important in structuring these grassy communities during periods of lower rainfall.

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Wood density and stocks of coarse woody debris in a northwestern Amazonian landscape

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x07-163 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 38 (4) ◽

pp. 795-805 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Kuo-Jung Chao ◽

Oliver L. Phillips ◽

Timothy R. Baker

Keyword(s):

Carbon Cycle ◽

Species Composition ◽

Wood Density ◽

Coarse Woody Debris ◽

Woody Debris ◽

Disturbance History ◽

Decomposition Rates ◽

Destructive Sampling ◽

Neotropical Forests ◽

White Sand

Coarse woody debris (CWD) is a rarely studied component of the carbon cycle. We report the first measurements of both CWD wood density and necromass in humid, lowland northwestern Amazonia, using both line-intersect and plot-based methods. Average CWD densities were not significantly different between clay-rich and white sand unflooded forests, but lower in floodplain forest (p ≤ 0.001). Necromass of CWD lying on the ground was also lower in the floodplain (10.3 ± 6.1 Mg·ha–1, mean ± 1 SE) than in the clay-rich (30.9 ± 5.4) and white sand (45.8 ± 7.3) forests (p ≤ 0.001, using the line-intersect method). These patterns are likely driven by disturbance history, species composition, and decomposition rates. Plot-based data showed that standing and fallen CWD together accounted for 6.4%–15.4% of total coarse aboveground vegetative mass (trees ≥10 cm diameter). Across humid, lowland neotropical forests, we show that wood densities of intact and partially decayed CWD are significantly related with live wood density at the same site (p = 0.026 and 0.003, respectively). We show that these relationships can be applied generally to estimate CWD wood density for humid, lowland neotropical forests wherever destructive sampling is not possible.

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Is the reptile community affected by Eucalyptus wandoo tree condition?

Wildlife Research ◽

10.1071/wr13015 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 40 (5) ◽

pp. 358 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

T. L. Moore ◽

L. E. Valentine ◽

M. D. Craig ◽

G. E. S. J. Hardy ◽

P. A. Fleming

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Prescribed Fire ◽

Coarse Woody Debris ◽

Woody Debris ◽

Habitat Characteristics ◽

Tree Decline ◽

Understorey Vegetation ◽

Litter Cover ◽

Eucalyptus Wandoo ◽

Tree Condition

Context Large portions of the world’s forests and woodlands are currently affected by declines in canopy condition of dominant tree species; however, the effects of these declines on faunal communities are largely unknown. Eucalyptus wandoo woodlands in the south-west region of Western Australia have demonstrated declines in condition since the early 1990s. Such declines in tree condition can result in reduced understorey vegetation, increased leaf-litter cover and coarse woody debris, potentially altering the habitat and resource available to reptiles. Prescribed fire events, another mechanism of habitat change for reptiles, are a common occurrence in these woodlands. Aims The present research investigated whether reptile communities were influenced by E. wandoo tree condition, and the changes in the habitat associated with E. wandoo decline. Methods Reptile trapping was conducted at 24 E. wandoo-dominated sites (of varying condition) in Dryandra State Forest and Wandoo Conservation Park, Western Australia. Overall, reptile abundance, species richness and individual reptile species abundances (only those species captured in sufficient numbers for analysis) were compared with a range of habitat characteristics that are likely to be altered by changes in E. wandoo tree condition. Key results Overall, higher reptile abundance and species richness were observed at sites with longer time since fire and more site litter cover. There was also a greater abundance and diversity of reptiles at sites where E. wandoo trees exhibited fewer symptoms of tree decline. Similar analyses for the five most common skink species indicated species-specific relationships with tree-condition measures, time since last fire, site litter cover, distance to drift fence from E. wandoo trees, understorey vegetation density and the density of coarse woody debris. Conclusions Abundance and species diversity of the reptile communities in E. wandoo woodlands were strongly related to time since last fire, E. wandoo tree condition and habitat characteristics such as site litter cover and the density of coarse woody debris. Implications Decline in the condition of E. wandoo trees and the fire events in E. wandoo woodlands are both mechanisms of change correlated with reptile habitat and resources. Future management of E. wandoo woodlands may include reducing prescribed fire events in areas demonstrating symptoms of tree decline, to conserve reptile abundance and species richness.

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Diversity, species richness, and abundance of spiders (Araneae) in different strata of boreal white spruce stands

The Canadian Entomologist ◽

10.4039/tce.2012.93 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 145 (1) ◽

pp. 61-76 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Jaime Pinzon ◽

John R. Spence ◽

David W. Langor

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Species Composition ◽

Picea Glauca ◽

Species Turnover ◽

White Spruce ◽

Vertical Gradient ◽

Basic Knowledge ◽

Spruce Stands ◽

Spider Abundance ◽

Species Richness And Abundance

AbstractSpiders (Araneae) were sampled in white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss (Pinaceae)) dominated stands from the ground and shrub layers, and from several overstorey strata to assess patterns in species composition and diversity (alpha and beta) along the vertical gradient (0–12 m above ground). Overall, 3070 adult spiders in 15 families and 76 species were collected, with the ground layer accounting for the highest species richness (40 species) followed by the mid-overstorey (36 spp.) and the shrub layers (33 species). Vertical stratification was apparent in the samples: richness clearly decreased with height, and species turnover between the ground, shrub, and mid-overstorey levels was evident, suggesting that species composition in each layer was highly distinctive. Within the mid-overstorey stratification was less obvious but both species richness and spider abundance were predicted significantly by height from the ground and branch size. Given the role of late-seral conifer stands for maintaining old-growth species, understanding diversity patterns across strata provides basic knowledge to support forest management decisions that effectively conserve spider species and assemblages. It is clearly important to include higher canopy layers in considering impacts of forestry on biodiversity in the boreal mixedwood.

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Selective thinning to enhance soil biodiversity in artificial black pine stands - what happens to mushroom fruiting?

Annals of Forest Research ◽

10.15287/afr.2020.2006 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 63 (2) ◽

pp. 75-90

Author(s):

Elena Salerni ◽

Debora Barbato ◽

Cecilia Cazau ◽

Lorenzo Gardin ◽

Gianni Henson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Forest Management ◽

Species Composition ◽

Annual Variation ◽

Pinus Nigra ◽

Dissimilarity Matrix ◽

Soil Biodiversity ◽

Life Project ◽

Principal Coordinates ◽

Species Richness And Abundance

As a man-induced disturbance of forest ecosystems, thinning may affect biodiversity and other related ecological functions including fungal dynamics. In this context, a multidisciplinary EU-Life project was established in 2014 to evaluate the application of selective thinning in two Pinus nigra plantations areas of the Apennines (Monte Amiata and Pratomagno, Tuscany, Italy). Selective thinning had the aim to improve stands stability and growth rates, taking also into account the various components of soil biodiversity (flora, fungi, mesofauna, nematodes, microarthropods and bacteria). Here we present mushroom fruiting patterns previous to treatment in 2014 and the effect following the application of forest management (selective thinning and traditional thinning from below) in 2018. Boxplots were used to graphically represent intra and inter annual variations in species richness and abundance, while Principal Coordinates Analyses and multi-response permutation procedures based on Bray-Curtis dissimilarity matrix were applied to evaluate turnover in species composition before the management and after 4 years. A significant reduction of fungal richness and abundance after 4 years thinning impact was lacking in both study areas, testifying a certain degree of resistance and/or resilience of mushroom fruiting to forest management-related anthropogenic disturbance. Considering each study site separately, Monte Amiata and Pratomagno did not show one uniform trend but differed significantly in their response to management: while in Pratomagno relevant inter-annual differences were present only in a few cases, an underlining significant variation both for species richness and abundance was registered in Monte Amiata for all treatment types among years (inter-annual variation) but not within each year (intra-annual variation). Only in Pratomagno turnover in species composition in selective thinning differed somewhat from the traditional treatment in 2018, showing that a process is underlying but still potentially masked by other variables. Due to the nature of macrofungi, a longer study period (more than 4 years post treatment impact) as well as the application of a more intense forest management, could be necessary to highlight and disentangle any possible trends in fungal fruiting in artificial stands

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Responses of the zooplankton community to the formation of a small reservoir on the Caveiras River, southern Brazil

Acta Scientiarum Biological Sciences ◽

10.4025/actascibiolsci.v43i1.56924 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 43 ◽

pp. e56924

Author(s):

Pablo Henrique dos Santos Picapedra ◽

Cleomar Fernandes ◽

Gilmar Baumgartner ◽

Paulo Vanderlei Sanches

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Species Composition ◽

Zooplankton Community ◽

Southern Brazil ◽

Small Reservoir ◽

Before And After ◽

Species Richness And Abundance ◽

Clear Change ◽

Planktonic Species

We investigated changes in the species richness, abundance, and composition of the zooplankton community in response to the formation of a small reservoir in the Caveiras River, southern Brazil. Zooplankton were collected using a motor-pump and a plankton net (68 μm mesh), with 600 L of water filtered per sample. Sampling occurred during the pre- (April, August, and December 2011) and post-impoundment (July and October 2013, and January 2014) phases of the Caveiras River. We identified 86 taxa in this study, and rotifers were the predominant group. The species richness and abundance of the zooplankton increased after the filling of the reservoir. Furthermore, the zooplankton community showed a clear change in the species composition between the phases before and after the formation of the reservoir, with the emergence of typical planktonic species. Changes in the structure of the zooplankton community were related to changes in limnological characteristics due to the impoundment of the river, mainly in the availability of food and in the concentration of nutrients.

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