In this final chapter we address some issues that we consider essential for the
future of dead wood and its biodiversity. Until now we have mainly focused on
the biological aspects of dead wood and have only to a limited extent considered
wider topics such as ecosystem functions, the future of forest biodiversity, and
the need to disseminate information about the fascinating life in decaying
wood.
Value of saproxylic diversity
We are convinced that the intrinsic value of the saproxylic species is a
sufficient motivation for their protection. We can be fascinated by the
peculiarity, strangeness and beauty of saproxylic species, and learn
tremendously from the intricate interactions between them. But species living in
dead wood are also more directly valuable, by providing products, ecological
services and option values.
Ecological functions, services and resilience
The species that colonize and utilize dead trees provide a central ecosystem
service, namely the decay of organic matter and the connected recycling of
energy and nutrients. The decomposer community, mainly fungi but assisted by a
multitude of invertebrates, performs this service at no cost, allowing the other
living components of forest ecosystems to thrive. There is a growing awareness
that the global loss of species threatens the provision of services such as
decay and nutrient turnover. One might ask if the overwhelming variety of
species living in wood is really necessary from this perspective. Maybe it would
be enough that a few key species are present and that the vast majority of
species are actually redundant. In any specific case there is probably no clear
and simple answer, but a growing body of evidence suggests that a critical
feature in ecosystems is the level of resilience (see, e.g., Rockstr ö m et al.,
2009 ). It is highly unlikely that the exact number of ‘necessary’
species could be dei ned despite the fact that several species may perform the
same function, rather than all of them having critical and unique functions.