Fossils document the existence of trees and wood-associated organisms from almost 400 million years ago, and today there are between 400,000 and 1 million wood-inhabiting species in the world. This is the first book to synthesise the natural history and conservation needs of wood-inhabiting organisms. Presenting a thorough introduction to biodiversity in decaying wood, the book studies the rich diversity of fungi, insects and vertebrates that depend upon dead wood. It describes the functional diversity of these organisms and their specific habitat requirements in terms of host trees, decay phases, tree dimensions, microhabitats and the surrounding environment. Recognising the threats posed by timber extraction and forest management, the authors also present management options for protecting and maintaining the diversity of these species in forests as well as in agricultural landscapes and urban parks.
• A thorough introduction to biodiversity in decaying wood, studying the rich diversity of fungi, insects and vertebrates that depend upon it • Examines the threats to wood-inhabiting organisms, highlighting management options for protecting and maintaining the diversity of species in forests as well as in agricultural landscapes and urban parks • Covers both fungi and invertebrates in detail, providing new insights for entomologists and mycologists working on wood-inhabiting organisms, both within their field of expertise and for other organisms living in the same habitat
Contents
Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. Wood decomposition; 3. The saproxylic food web; 4. Other associations with dead woody material; 5. Host tree associations; 6. Mortality factors and decay succession; 7. Microhabitats; 8. Tree size; 9. The surrounding environment; 10. Evolution of saproxylic organisms; 11. Species diversity of saproxylic organisms; 12. Natural forest dynamics; 13. Dead wood and sustainable forest management; 14. Population dynamics and evolutionary strategies; 15. Threatened saproxylic species; 16. Dead wood in agricultural and urban habitats; 17. The value and future of saproxylic diversity; References; Index.
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