Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

The Swedish boreal forests have changed drastically in the last century. Intensive forestry with clear-cuttings and fire-prevention, cause a lack in dead wood diversity and volume. The current research on forests mainly focuses on productive forests and there is a knowledge gap regarding the importance of low-productive forest for biodiversity. Saproxylic beetles were studied on thin-soil-low productive pine forest and productive pine forest for five fires between 2002-2011 to see if the effect on species richness and community differed between the forest types. The study does not show any major difference in the species richness of saproxylic beetles between burned low productive pine forests and burned productive pine forests. There was no significant difference in species richness or amount of individuals between the forest types. Cumulative species numbers were similar for low-productive and high-productive forests. There was a significant higher number of species per emergence trap in the productive forests at one of the fires. Two of the five fires had a higher number of individuals and species per emergence trap on productive forest while the rest showed a variable result. The only species which had a significant trend was Gabrius splendidulus which preferred the productive pine forests. Several of the species or families showed higher numbers for one of the forest types. The species which preferred stony-low productive forests all had a known record of preferring either sun exposed, dry or slow-grown dead wood. The number of red-listed species did not differ between productive and low productive forests. The degree of decomposition varied greatly between the area but had no obvious difference between low productive and productive forests. The difference of dead wood diversity and decomposition stage between the areas affected the species diversity and composition. This study shows that low productive pine forest is important for the biodiversity of saproxylic beetles.
Keywords: Low-productive, saproxylic, beetles, pine, fire