13 - Dead wood and sustainable forest management

Summary

This chapter presents various forestry practices, from modest selective timber harvesting to plantation forestry. Particular attention is paid to differences in the amount, quality and dynamics of dead wood between managed and natural forests. The chapter also discusses management options and processes that might improve conditions for saproxylic species.

Many kinds of forestry practice exist, but it is beyond the scope of this chapter to give a full treatment of all aspects. Common to all types of forestry is the fact that trees are cut and removed from the forest. This clearly represents a situation of resource competition for the species dependent on dead wood. In many regions, clear-cutting and removing all the trees is the most common harvesting method and has obvious negative effects on many saproxylic species (Figure 13.1). But other management regimes also show negative effects on the dead wood biota. Balancing the extraction of wood with the demands of saproxylic species is a difficult task – a topic that is discussed in the second half of this chapter.

Amount, quality and dynamics of dead wood in managed forests

The most obvious ef ect of forestry is the extraction of trees for commercial purposes. This will result in a loss of dead wood resources for saproxylic species, in terms of quantity, quality and dynamics.