Amount of dead wood and its effect on biodiversity in the Hungarian Carpathians

Aims

Many studies emphasize the importance of dead wood in forest biodiversity. Two-third of the forest dwelling species use dead wood during their life cycle. Dead wood is a key factor in the biodiversity of fungi and arthropods but also important for bryophytes, birds and bats. Researches concerning the amount and biological function of dead wood in Hungary were mainly focused on currently unmanaged stands (forest reserves), while our knowledge about managed stands is very scarce. This study would like to fill this scientific gap.
The volume and quality (decay stage and size distribution) of dead wood will be explored in Hungarian Carpathians (North Hungarian Mountains) based on a representative sample including 500 forest stands. Bryophyte and fungi (aphyllophoroid morphotypes) biodiversity on dead wood will be also studied. The sample of managed stands is representative for three forest zone (sessile oak - turkey oak forests, oak – hornbeam forests, beech forests) and three age group (20-50, 50-80, older than 80 yr) in the study area. Forest reserves will be also studied as reference sites.
The simple descriptive data will fill an important gap for science and forest management and conservation. Beside this elementary information we would like to estimate dead wood thresholds providing forest biodiversity in managed stands. This knowledge can contribute for forest management and conservation, it can be useful for strategies, management plans etc.

Support

This research is part of the „Sustainable conservation in Hungarian Natura 2000 sites” project founded by the Swiss-Hungarian Cooperation Programme (SH/4/8), consortium leader is BirdLife Hungary, consortium members are Szent István University and MTA Centre for Ecological Research.