MAY 28,
2019
Wood-living
beetles that use oak trees are a species-rich and threatened animal group in
modern forestry and agriculture in southern Sweden. New research from the
University of Gothenburg shows that management with conservation thinning can
be an effective way to promote these beetles in the long term.
When
traditional forestry modernized in the 20th century, many of the forests in the
southern and middle parts of Sweden became denser and darker than they had been
before. For many species in sunlit and open forests with oak trees as their habitat, this has
meant an increased risk of extinction.
"These
insects represent a large part of the biodiversity that we have committed
ourselves to preserving by law and through international agreements. In
addition to being beautiful and fascinating, they also play an important role
in stabilizing forest ecosystems," says Oskar Gran, at the Department of
Biological and Environmental Sciences.
Gran
conducts research in the Swedish Oak Project at the University of Gothenburg, a
long-term research project evaluating management alternatives for overgrown oak
forests in southern Sweden.
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