How to Increase Biodiversity of Saproxylic Beetles in Commercial Stands through Integrated Forest Management in Central Europe

Due to traditional forest management, the primary goal of which is the production of raw wood material, commercial forest stands are characterized by low biodiversity. At the same time, commercial forests make up the majority of forests in the Central European region, which means a significant impact on the biodiversity of the entire large region. Saproxylic species of organisms are a frequently used criterion of biodiversity in forests. Based upon the analysis of 155 scientific works, this paper defines the fundamental attributes of the active management supporting biodiversity as well as the preservation of the production function. Using these attributes, a model management proposal was created for three tree species, which takes into account the results of research carried out in the territory of the University Forest Enterprise of the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, since 2019. The optimum constant volume of deadwood in commercial stands was set at 40–60 m3/ha, 20% of which should be standing deadwood. The time framework is scheduled for an average rotation period of the model tree species, while the location of deadwood and frequency of enrichment must comply with the rate of decomposition, the requirement for the bulkiest dimensions of deadwood possible, and the planned time of tending and regeneration operations in accordance with the models used in the Czech Republic. The goal of active management is to maintain the continuity of suitable habitats for sensitive and endangered species. The estimates of the value of retained wood for decomposition can be as high as 45–70 EUR/ha/year for spruce and beech, and about 30 EUR /ha/year for oak.

The Use of Tree-Related Microhabitats as Forest Biodiversity Indicators and to Guide Integrated Forest Management

Purpose of the Review The concept of tree-related microhabitats (TreMs) is an approach to assess and manage multi-taxon species richness in forest ecosystems. Owing to their provision of special habitat features, TreMs are of special interest as a surrogate biodiversity indicator. In particular, in retention forestry, TreMs have gained attention over the past decade as a selection criterion for retained structural elements such as habitat trees. This review seeks to (a) address the suitability of TreMs as biodiversity indicator in the context of retention forestry, (b) summarize drivers of TreM occurrence and the status quo of the implementation of TreM-based retention concepts in forest management, and (c) discuss current and future challenges to the use of TreMs as biodiversity indicator. Recent Findings The TreM concept originated in Europe where it is now increasingly implemented. Most studies of the quantity, quality, and diversity of TreMs are focused on tree species from this region, although it is increasingly applied in other contexts. In addition to tree species, tree dimensions and live status have been identified as the main drivers of TreM occurrence. One major remaining research challenge is to verify relationships between the occurrence and abundance of forest-dwelling species from different taxonomic groups and TreMs to improve the evidence basis of this concept and thus increase its integration in forest conservation approaches. Summary TreMs are not the “silver bullet” indicator to quantify biodiversity of forest dwelling species, but they provide an important tool for forest managers to guide the selection of habitat trees for the conservation of the associated biodiversity.

Resolving the trade-off between production and biodiversity conservation in integrated forest management: comparing tree selection practices of foresters and conservationists

Integrating nature conservation effectively in forests managed for timber production implies reconciling a trade-off between ecological and economic objectives. In continuous cover forest management, this culminates in decisions about tree harvesting (or retention) determining both the prevalence of tree-related microhabitats in the forest and the economic viability of timber management. Applying an innovative mixed methods approach, we compare conservationists and foresters performing a tree selection exercise. We assess the outcomes of their forest management decisions quantitatively and explore their strategies and the underlying reasoning based on qualitative data. Our findings show that particularly the habitat trees differ greatly between the two groups: while conservationists retained almost exclusively large oaks at often high opportunity costs, foresters retained a notable number of smaller-diameter hornbeams. These differences are related to a different perception of opportunity costs of retention by both groups, as well as because they do not agree about how to value current tree-related microhabitats and their projection into the future. Such diverging patterns of reasoning imply incompatible interpretations of what constitutes a habitat tree. Our results indicate that it is important to apply benchmarks for evaluating ecological goals as well as to increase foresters’ and conservationists’ understanding about the motivations and restrictions of the respective counterpart. Our study points out a significant potential for (mutual) learning, and illustrates the complementarity of quantitative and qualitative research methods to examine tree selection behaviour.

The Development of Basidiomycota Fungi with The Concept of Integrated Forest Management

The development of Basidiomycota that is cultivated by utilizing space on the forest floor has not been done much, especially in Indonesia. The Basidiomycota found in Indonesia have very high diversity, but have not been explored so far. Basidiomycota fungi is an alternative as a source of natural nutraceuticals. This study aims to obtain Basidiomycota fungi isolates that have the potential as a nutraceutical source. As the first stage in this research, the activities carried out were exploration, isolation on culture media, and identification of fungi based on genotypic characters. The results of this research have found eight types of basidiomycota that have the potential to be a source of nutraceutical in the geulis mountain forest area of ​​West Java Indonesia. The fungi identified based on their genotypic characters were Pleurotus ostreatus, Ganoderma cf, resinaceum, Lentinula edodes, Vanderbylia fraxinea, Auricularia delicate, Pleurotus giganteus, Auricularia sp., and Tricholoma giganteum.