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Research article2016Peer reviewed

Overlooked subterranean saproxylic beetle diversity in clear-cut stumps and its implications for stump extraction

Victorsson, Jonas; Jonsell, Mats

Abstract

Abstract: Stump extraction will reduce the available habitat for insects breeding in dead wood (saproxylic species). The root-­living diversity is largely unknown which is unsatisfactory when 68% of the wood harvested at stump extraction is root wood. Therefore, we compared the subterranean diversity of saproxylic beetles in spruce stumps with the diversity above ground in the same stumps. Five below-­ground (root) and eight above-­ ground (stump) samples were collected from early-­decay Norway spruce Picea abies stumps at each of twelve Swedish clear-­cuts. In total 8314 saproxylic beetles of 60 species were reared from the 156 wood samples. Species composition differed between substrate types and only 28% of the species were common to both substrates. Most root samples were numerically dominated by Dryocoetes autographus (33% of the samples) or Hylobius abietis (10%). Most stump samples were dominated by Crypturgus spp. (66%) or Rhagium inquisitor (19%). Of the 17 most abundant species (>10 individuals) 29% (5/17) were statistically associated with roots and two of those species used roots exclusively (12% or 2/17). Ten species (59%) were associated with stumps. Using a species richness estimator (Chao 2) we found that the total species richness in roots (47 species) was 51% of that in stumps (93). When root and stump samples were pooled the total estimate was 116 species. The species assemblage in roots also had a more restricted phylogenetic origin indicating that only a taxonomically restricted set of species have made the transition from stump to root wood. We conclude that the subterranean fauna needs to be considered separately from the above ground fauna when the effects of stump harvest on biodiversity is evaluated.

Keywords

Biodiversity; Bioenergy; Coleoptera; CWD; Root; Stump harvest

Published in

Forest Ecology and Management
2016, Volume: 371, pages: 59-66
Publisher: Elsevier

      SLU Authors

      • UKÄ Subject classification

      Soil Science
      Forest Science
      Ecology

      Publication identifier

      DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2016.01.037

      Permanent link to this page (URI)

      https://res.slu.se/id/publ/72236