MANAGING DEAD WOOD
in European beech forest
Nat-Man Guideline 5 www.fl ec.kvl.dk/natman

This pamphlet was made as part of the NAT-MAN project
funded by the European Commission. Text, figures and
photographs are made by Morten Christensen (DK) with
assistance from Jacob Heilmann-Clausen (DK) and Katrine
Hahn (DK).
Which types of dead wood are most
important for biodiversity?
Dead wood may be present in a variety of forms which all support different aspects of biodiversity
(Figure 1).
Standing dead trees and tall snags are preferred by woodpeckers and other cavity-dwelling
birds, whilst fallen logs support the richest moss communities.
Different fungi and insects are active during the process of wood decomposition and most are
confined to certain stages of decay.
Also wood dimensions and position in the tree are important for which species live in the wood.
Therefore it should be aimed to increase the amount of all types of dead wood in managed
forests. This is done most easily by selecting whole trees for decay, since these represent a
diversity of dead wood habitats. However, even retention of logging waste and dead branches may increase biodiversity in managed forests.
Because saproxylic organisms often stick to a specific stage of decay they always have to colonize new logs. For the survival of their populations it is essential to secure the continuity
of dead both wood in time and space.
Whenever whole trees are selected for decay, old trees should be preferred. Malformed or forked
trees of limited economic value are often the best for biodiversity. The same is the case for trees
attacked by fungal decay agents, and preferably retention trees should be allowed to die naturally
and remain standing as long as possible.

Figure 1: Schematic biodiversity cycle
Why dead wood?
Dead wood has been identified as one of the most important habitats for biodiversity in forest
ecosystems.
In the Nat-Man project a study of 1000 dead fallen logs in fi ve European countries showed that more than 500 fungi and more than 150 bryophyte species are associated with decaying beech
wood.
Dead wood has important ecosystem functions in forest. It is important for nutrient storage and
retains large amount of water, which is important in keeping the microclimate of forests moist.
Dead wood is also an important political issue both in the certification of forests and as an
indicator proposed for the Pan-European measurement of sustainability.

How much dead wood is needed?
It is not possible to give a simple answer to this question. Just a small increase in dead wood
amounts will increase biodiversity, but the most demanding dead wood specialist are only able to
survive in virtually untouched forest ecosystems where dead wood levels are maximized.
In practice the final formulation of dead wood goals will therefore depend on political aims or
management goals. Beech forests that have been unmanaged for centuries are characterized by a balance between input and decay of dead wood (Figure 2).
A Nat-Man study including 34 old-growth beech forests shows that the volume of dead wood
generally corresponds to one third of the living volume (Table 1), but with some variation
depending on forest type.


Differences between forests types
In unmanaged forests dead wood of different size and decay classes are present in relatively stable amounts. However, server windstorms, drought and ice breakage events can increase the volume of dead wood greatly and produce large variations in the representation of decay stages.
Table 1: Average dead wood volumes in two beech forest types
|
Forest type |
NW European |
Central Euro- |
|
|
lowland beech |
pean montain |
|
|
forest |
beech forest |
|
Living volume (m3) |
538 |
625 |
|
Dead wood volume (m3) |
131 |
220 |
|
Ratio |
30 % |
37% |

Figure 3: There is much more dead wood in unmanaged beech forests than in managed due to the removal of wood (timber) and the short rotation cycle in production forests (typically 80- 140 years) compared to unmanaged forests (typically > Trees less valuable for timber are often good for biodiversity. Large logs and snags are essential habitats for many species. 150-300 years).