Threatened beetles benefit from forest thinning

MAY 28, 2019

by University of Gothenburg

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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