Laboratory of Woodland Ecology
    Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre CAS
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Forest management and restoration
 

Our studies often deal with conservation of woodland associated insects and their biodiversity, predominantly in temperate forests of low or middle elevations. We explore how different forest managements affect diversity and composition of insect communities, mainly those of saproxylic beetles, but also butterflies, moths, bees and wasps or other groups. We are particularly interested in the management of protected woodland areas where biodiversity conservation is the primary objective. We try to evaluate costs and benefits of non-intervention vs. active intervention approach. Due to a spontaneous development taking place in most of the protected forests, formerly biologicaly rich open or semi-open woodlands have become shady closed-canopy forests leading to a rapid decline in number of light-demanding and often specialized species. Our studies indicate that conservation management should aim at opening the canopy and diversifying structure of the protected forests. In this context, we often show that traditional silvicultural practices, such as coppicing, wood-pasture or pollarding, may serve as useful tools in conservation and ecological restoration of temperate woodlands.

 
Members involved

Pavel Šebek, Lukáš Čížek, Michal Perlík, Petr Kozel, Lucie Ambrožová

 
Related papers

Active management promotes plant diversity in lowland forests: A landscape-scale experiment with two types of clearings. Lanta et al. 2019, Forest Ecology and Management.

Open-grown trees as key habitats for arthropods in temperate woodlands: The diversity, composition, and conservation value of associated communities. Šebek et al. 2016, Forest Ecology and Management.

Does a minimal intervention approach threaten the biodiversity of protected areas? A multi-taxa short-term response to intervention in temperate oak-dominated forests. Šebek et al. 2015, Forest Ecology and Management.

Erasing a European biodiversity hot-spot: Open woodlands, veterantrees and mature forests succumb to forestry intensification,succession, and logging in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Miklín and Čížek 2014, Journal for Nature Conservation.

Is active management the key to the conservation of saproxylic biodiversity? Pollarding promotes the formation of tree hollows. Šebek et al. 2013, PLoS ONE.

[PDF] Metodika péče o světlé lesy. Čížek et al. 2016 [Czech]