Partial cutting as a conservation alternative for oak (Quercus spp.) forest—response of bryophytes and lichens on dead wood

Published source details Paltto H., Nordén B. & Götmark F. (2008) Partial cutting as a conservation alternative for oak (Quercus spp.) forest—response of bryophytes and lichens on dead wood. Forest Ecology and Management, 256, 536-547.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Thin trees within forests: effects on non-vascular plants Action Link

Thin trees within forests: effects on non-vascular plants

A replicated, controlled, before-and-after study in 2000–2004 in boreal forest in Sweden (Paltto, Nordén & Götmark 2008) found that thinning increased the number of lichen species but also increased the extinction rate of some bryophytes species. Numbers of lichen species/stump increased more in thinned (76%) than in unthinned plots (26%). The increase in number of species/stump for mosses (thinned: 10%; unthinned: 50%) and liverworts (thinned: -50%; unthinned: -10%), and number of species/log for lichens (thinned: 35%; unthinned: 0%), mosses (thinned and unthinned: 30%) and liverworts (thinned: -15%; unthinned: -10%) was similar between treatments. Extinction rate (number of species lost after thinning/total number of species before thinning) for generalist species (living on at least two substrate types) was higher in thinned (43%) than in unthinned plots (16%). Extinction rate was similar between treatments for species living on bark or on both wood and bark (thinned: 75%; unthinned: 65%) and species living on dead wood (thinned and unthinned: 65%). Sites were 15 pairs of thinned (conifers and medium-sized trees removed in October 2002) and unthinned plots (1 ha) situated at least 20 km apart from each other. Data were collected before (September-November 2000) and after (October 2004) thinning.