Responses of polypore fungi following disturbance-emulating harvesting treatments and deadwood creation in boreal Norway spruce dominated forests. Issue 7 (3rd October 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pasanen, Hannes; Juutilainen, Katja; Siitonen, Juha
• Is Part Of: Scandinavian journal of forest research. Volume 34:Issue 7(2019)
• Page Start: 557
• Page End: 568
• Publication Date: 2019-10-03
• Subjects: Forest management -- natural disturbance emulation -- silviculture -- wood-inhabiting fungi -- coarse woody debris -- fine woody debris; Forests and forestry -- Scandinavia -- Periodicals; Forests and forestry -- Periodicals; Forests and forestry -- Research -- Scandinavia -- Periodicals; 634.90948
• DOI: 10.1080/02827581.2019.1663915
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0282-7581

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The emulation of natural disturbances in harvesting has become a widely accepted approach to reach ecologically sustainable forest management. The purpose of this study was to examine the responses of polypore fungi (species richness and composition) on four different cutting methods (selection, gap, patch, and clear-cutting) plus uncut controls, and the creation of high stumps and cut logs in combination with harvesting. Polypores were inventoried one year before, and two and seven years after cutting. A total of 71 polypore species were found, but no red-listed species were recorded seven years after cutting. Irrespective of the treatment, the variation in polypore richness was best explained by the number of deadwood objects in the stands. Species richness per deadwood object was the highest on natural logs. Species richness per volume of spruce deadwood was the highest on small-diameter deadwood and stumps, intermediate on natural logs and lower on cut logs and high stumps. These results indicate that cut logs created in harvesting cannot compensate the loss of deadwood in cutting and energy wood harvesting. Our results demonstrate the difficulty in rapidly creating habitats for red-listed polypores in commercially managed forests.