Institut für nationale und internationale Angelegenheiten der Pflanzengesundheit
Deadwood is an important structural element of forest ecosystems, which contributes to forest biodiversity and impacts many ecosystem functions. Deadwood decays over time and decay rates depend on a number of factors, in particular size, temperature and tree species-specific wood traits, such as chemical composition and wood density. Key decomposer are fungi, but archaea, bacteria and various invertebrate groups also contribute to deadwood decomposition. In advanced decay stages, the physical structure and chemical composition of deadwood has changed considerably, which also alters the function of deadwood as a resource and habitat for many of these organisms. There is evidence of a relationship between organismic diversity and decay rates but it is still largely unclear how diversity and composition of deadwood-degrading communities is linked to decay rates of individual tree species. In addition, wood decay is patchy and varies both between as well as within deadwood logs of the same tree species. In this proposal, we will use logs of the old BELongDead (Biodiversity Exploratories Long-term Deadwood) experiment to study the variation in decay, within logs and between logs at different subplots and plots. The experiment was established in 2009 and logs are therefore in a late decay stage.
German Research Foundation
