The dynamics and structure of dead wood in natural spruce-beech forest stand – a 40 year case study in the Krkonoše national park

Abstract

The study deals with long-term dynamics of snags and fallen dead wood from 1970 to 2010 in an unmanaged forest ecosystem dominated by European beech in the Bažinky area, Krkonoše National Park (Czech Republic). The volume of dead wood was estimated from 1970 separately for fallen dead wood (logs) and standing dead wood (snags and stumps). Total dead wood volume on permanent research plot (PRP) 6 increased from 41.9 to 241.6 m3 ha–1 and on PRP 7 from 27.7 to 170.0 m3 ha–1. During 40 year case study the mean total volume of fallen dead wood was 193.3 m3 ha–1 (± 29.8 S.E.) and 96.2 m3 ha–1 (± 19.4 S.E.) and the mean total volume of standing dead wood was 17.4 m3 ha–1 (± 3.4 S.E.) and 12.6 m3 ha–1 (± 1.4 S.E.) on PRP 6 and PRP 7, respectively. Comparing tree species, the mean volume of fallen dead wood was significantly higher for Norway spruce than for beech in the decomposition class 1 (F(1, 14) = 5.7, P = 0.03) and significantly higher for beech in the decomposition classes 4 (F(1, 14) = 20.4, P < 0.001) and 5 (F(1, 14) = 25.5, P < 0.001). Dead wood was distributed from randomly to aggregated spatial pattern. Despite the rapid decay of beech wood, the amounts of deadwood are likely to increase further during the next decades with continuing disintegration of the forest stand.