<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Modification of forest stand density by thinning is a common silvicultural practice implemented in management of production forests. However, changes in the stand density can entail considerable changes to the present forest environment and communities. The current knowledge about the effect of stand density modification on the local animal communities is based mainly on the flagship groups such as carabid beetles or birds. We focused our study on harvestmen. We explored how the stand density influences species composition of this species communities in submountain beech forests. The study was conducted in the Kováčovská dolina valley (Kremnické vrchy Mts, Central Slovakia) in 1997 and 1998, the method used was pitfall trapping. In total, 9 harvestmen species from 5 families were recorded. Prior to our research, the forest stands at the study locality were subject to thinning interventions the intensity of which influenced the structure of the local harvestmen communities. The most pronounced was the effect of very intensive thinning with stand density reduced below 0.5. From the recorded species, four preferred forest stands with lower stand density (<italic>Lophopilio palpinalis</italic>, <italic>Oligolophus tridens</italic>, <italic>Nemastoma lugubre</italic>, <italic>Trogulus nepaeformis</italic>), two species (<italic>Platybunus bucephalus</italic>, <italic>Dicranolasma scabrum</italic>) preferred forest stands with higher stand density. Generalization of the observed pattern requires to explore a wider spectrum of beech forests.</p></abstract>

Modification of forest stand density by thinning is a common silvicultural practice implemented in management of production forests. However, changes in the stand density can entail considerable changes to the present forest environment and communities. The current knowledge about the effect of stand density modification on the local animal communities is based mainly on the flagship groups such as carabid beetles or birds. We focused our study on harvestmen. We explored how the stand density influences species composition of this species communities in submountain beech forests. The study was conducted in the Kováčovská dolina valley (Kremnické vrchy Mts, Central Slovakia) in 1997 and 1998, the method used was pitfall trapping. In total, 9 harvestmen species from 5 families were recorded. Prior to our research, the forest stands at the study locality were subject to thinning interventions the intensity of which influenced the structure of the local harvestmen communities. The most pronounced was the effect of very intensive thinning with stand density reduced below 0.5. From the recorded species, four preferred forest stands with lower stand density (Lophopilio palpinalis, Oligolophus tridens, Nemastoma lugubre, Trogulus nepaeformis), two species (Platybunus bucephalus, Dicranolasma scabrum) preferred forest stands with higher stand density. Generalization of the observed pattern requires to explore a wider spectrum of beech forests.

The influence of stand density on the structure of harvestmen communities (Opiliones) in a submountain beech forest

Department of Biology and General Ecology, Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Sciences

Folia Oecologica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Modification of forest stand density by thinning is a common silvicultural practice implemented in management of production forests. However, changes in the...

The influence of stand density on the structure of harvestmen communities (Opiliones) in a submountain beech forest

Published Online: May 27, 2019

Page range: 10 - 15

Received: Nov 27, 2018

Accepted: Mar 13, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/foecol-2019-0002

Keywords
canopy cover, community density, cutting, openness, silvicultural practice

© 2019 Slavomír Stašiov et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

The influence of stand density on the structure of harvestmen communities (Opiliones) in a submountain beech forest

Published Online: May 27, 2019

Page range: 10 - 15

Received: Nov 27, 2018

Accepted: Mar 13, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/foecol-2019-0002

Keywordscanopy cover, community density, cutting, openness, silvicultural practice

© 2019 Slavomír Stašiov et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
canopy cover, community density, cutting, openness, silvicultural practice