Forest stand structure influences biodiversity

Tanja Grič and Ivan Kos (2004) Forest stand structure influences biodiversity. Zbornik gozdarstva in lesarstva (73). pp. 105-121. ISSN 0351-3114

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Abstract

Healthy functioning of a forest requires biodiversity on a sufficiently high level. Its conservation has to be incorporated into forest management. Along with natural forest development every community at a certain location experiences continual changeability. Only with appropriate structure a forest can offer living space for species of different sensitivity and in that way ensures diversity. In order for an appropriate structure to be defined, investigations of biodiversity in differently structured and differently aged stands are essential. The review paper summarizes results of investigations indifferent groups of invertebrates which are numerically as well as functionally very important, and owing to their body structure especially sensitive to environmental conditions. Communities mostly differ among phases,and species diversity depends on forest structure. A consensus has beenreached among ecologists that an appropriate strategy for preserving diversity is to secure the heterogeneity of an environment at different scalessimultaneously. A mosaic of different development phase patches in the size of a group or nest ensures in a forest landscape suitable conditions for differently demanding species and their migrations to a suitable environment when changes and disturbances occur.

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