Høye. T.T. & Wind, P. 2017. Basiskortlægning af habitattrægrupper på forsvarets arealer. Aarhus Universitet, DCE – Nationalt Center for Miljø og Energi, 36 s. - Teknisk rapport fra DCE - Nationalt Center for Miljø og Energi nr. 98. http://dce2.au.dk/pub/TR98.pdf
Greater structural diversity in forests owned by the Danish Defence will benefit military training as well as biodiversity. One way to achieve greater structural diversity is by the establishment of dead wood plots where dead wood is created actively within smaller forest patches. Dead wood is created by the use of explosives or chain saws to damage or kill trees, by girdling trees or by knocking live trees over. This report describes the results of baseline mapping for subsequent evaluation of the effects of establishing dead wood plots in forests owned by the Danish Defence on biodiversity. The data collected as part of the baseline mapping are provided as appendices to the report.
The baseline mapping consisted of an estimation of the amount of dead wood in the plots prior to establishment, measurements of forest structural parameters as well as aspects of biodiversity. Data on the following species groups were collected as part of the baseline mapping: vascular plants, wood-inhabiting fungi and insects. The mapping was carried out in 48 plots at six sites across Denmark. Half of the plots were designated as control plots and the other half as dead wood plots. The field work was carried out in 2013.
The study showed that there were no differences between species richness and community composition among control and treatment plots for any of the taxa included in the study. Differences in the amount of dead wood and forest structural diversity could be ascribed to the few dead wood plots which were established prior to this project. With the baseline mapping, it is possible to evaluate whether future changes in forest structural diversity and biodiversity will differ among coniferous and deciduous forests.
