Projekt "Biologisk mangfoldighed i naturskov - en sammenligning mellem østdanske natur- og kulturskove". Baggrund og formål

To investigate the effect and impact of forest management on biodiversity in broad-leaved, mainly beech dominated woodlands, stands with status as ‘unmanaged’ or non-intervention reserve was compared with managed forest stands of equal size (2-19 hectares), with as far as possible same conditions in relation to soil, topography, exposition, main tree species etc. The site investigations included a.o. forest history, soil conditions, stand structure, basal area, volume, amount of dead wood, water conditions etc., and the species investigations included vascular plants, bryophytes, fungi, epixylic lichens, saproxylic click beetles, ground beetles, rove beetles, crane flies, oribatid mites,
gastropods, birds and bats. However, the special issue of Flora & Fauna 123(2-4) only includes groups shown in italics. The study is a repetition of a similar investigation carried out in 1992-94 at the same sites and to some degree with the same methods. Since 1994, the forests have been subjected to several severe disturbances i.e. storms in 1999, 2005, 2013 damaging a number
of the 250-300-year old beech trees. Due to the Dutch elm disease in larger elm trees, elm is only present as smaller trees and from 2004, the ash trees are affected by the ash die-back caused by the fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. During the same period, the sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) has increased its presence and in almost all areas sycamore is now a common species in the sub-canopy layer with impact on the light level in the understory layer.