Fossils document the existence of trees and wood-associated organisms from almost 400 million years ago, and today there are between 400,000 and 1 million wood-inhabiting species in the world. This is the first book to synthesise the natural history and conservation needs of wood-inhabiting organisms. Presenting a thorough introduction to biodiversity in decaying wood, the book studies the rich diversity of fungi, insects and vertebrates that depend upon dead wood. It describes the functional diversity of these organisms and their specific habitat requirements in terms of host trees, decay phases, tree dimensions, microhabitats and the surrounding environment. Recognising the threats posed by timber extraction and forest management, the authors also present management options for protecting and maintaining the diversity of these species in forests as well as in agricultural landscapes and urban parks.
Author(s): Jogeir N. Stokland, Juha Siitonen, Bengt Gunnar Jonsson
Series: Ecology, Biodiversity and Conservation
Edition: 1
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Year: 2012
Language: English
Pages: 524
City: Cambridge
Preface
1 Introduction
1.1 Biodiversity in decaying wood
1.2 Saproxylic species: defining the concept
1.3 Structure of the book
1.4 Knowledge, disciplines and perspectives
2 Wood decomposition
2.1 Structural wood components
2.2 Enzymatic degradation of wood
2.3 Fungal decomposition and rot types
2.4 Bacterial wood degradation
2.5 Animal degradation of wood
2.6 Ecological aspects
3 The saproxylic food web
3.1 Sugar fungi and wood-decaying fungi
3.2 Detritivores
3.3 Fungivores
3.4 Scavengers
3.5 Predators
3.6 Predatory fungi
3.7 Parasites
3.8 Mycoparasites
3.9 Mycorrhizal fungi
3.10 Fungicolous fungi
3.11 Ecological perspectives
4 Other associations with dead woody material
4.1 Vertebrates
4.2 Invertebrates
4.3 Epixylic species: life on the surface
5 Host-tree associations
5.1 Conifers versus broadleaved trees
5.2 Diversity and phylogeny of trees
5.3 Differences between the wood of conifers and broadleaved trees
5.4 Defence systems in trees
5.5 Host-tree preferences and decay
5.6 Hypotheses about host-tree associations
6 Mortality factors and decay succession
6.1 Mortality factors and qualities of dead wood
6.2 Decomposition pathways
6.3 The decaying tree as a changing resource
6.4 Fungal succession
6.5 Invertebrate succession
6.6 Succession of mosses and lichens
6.7 Overview of the decay succession
7 Microhabitats
7.1 Wounds and sap exudations in living trees
7.2 Cavities and hollow trees
7.3 Dead branches and roots
7.4 Bark, sapwood and heartwood
7.5 Fruiting bodies of fungi
7.6 Wood surface
8 Tree size
8.1 Factors causing diameter effects on species preferences
8.2 Diameter preferences of individual species
8.3 Species richness and composition patterns in relation to diameter
8.4 Importance of large trunks for species diversity
9 The surrounding environment
9.1 The abiotic environment
9.2 Above-ground environments
9.3 Wood buried in the soil
9.4 Submerged wood
9.5 Tree growth rate, wood density and secondary substances
10 Evolution of saproxylic organisms
10.1 Evolution of woody plants
10.2 Origins of wood decomposers
10.3 Ancient and derived saproxylic invertebrates
10.4 Evolution of functional roles
10.5 Prospects
11 Species diversity of saproxylic organisms
11.1 Saproxylic diversity in northern Europe
11.2 Additional saproxylic groups
11.3 Why are there so many saproxylic species?
11.4 Global species richness of saproxylics
12 Natural forest dynamics
12.1 Spatial and temporal variability in mortality
12.2 Stand-replacing dynamics
12.3 Continuous-cover dynamics
12.4 Dead wood in streams and rivers
12.5 Dead wood in natural forests
13 Dead wood and sustainable forest management
13.1 Amount, quality and dynamics of dead wood in managed forests
13.2 Forest management regimes
13.3 Sustainable forest management: background
13.4 Disturbance regimes and forest management systems
13.5 Retention
13.6 Forest reserves
13.7 Woodland key habitats
13.8 Restoration
13.9 Management for dead wood
13.10 Conservation goals and management standards
14 Population dynamics and evolutionary strategies
14.1 Life-history strategies
14.2 Factors affecting the population dynamics
14.3 Metapopulation dynamics
14.4 The role of continuity
15 Threatened saproxylic species
15.1 Historical evidence for the decline of saproxylic species
15.2 Current threat factors
15.3 Effects of reduced dead-wood volume on saproxylic species
15.4 Assessing the threat status of saproxylic species
15.5 Survey methods and nature conservation evaluation
16 Dead wood in agricultural and urban habitats
16.1 Cultural environments as habitats for saproxylic species
16.2 Europe’s forests after the last glaciation
16.3 Prehistoric modification of forests by humans in Europe
16.4 Historic woodlands and parks
16.5 Urban forests and wooded ruderal areas
16.6 Conservation and management of dead wood in cultural environments
17 The value and future of saproxylic diversity
17.1 Value of saproxylic diversity
17.2 Negative trends
17.3 Research challenges
17.4 Knowledge synthesis and dissemination
References
Index
