Leaving Dead Wood for Insects in Boreal Forests - Suggestions for the Future

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Abstract
Increasing the amount of dead wood in managed forests is one of the prerequisites for the successful preservation of various organisms. Dead wood and its associated fungi with it provide resources for many insects. Various methods have been used to artificially enhance the quantity of dead wood in managed forests. Creation of high stumps in connection with the final logging of the stand and leaving living trees, especially deciduous trees, are two frequently used methods. Most of these stumps are made from spruce attacked by root rot fungi. Another method is to save reasonable amounts of wind-felled trees. There is, however, a conflict between saving wind-felled trees and the recommendations concerning protection against the damage caused by bark beetles. The result of an increasing interest in utilising windfalls as firewood is a reduction in the amounts of this type of dead wood. One of the intentions of the Swedish National Board of Forestry is to increase the amount of dead wood by 50 percent during this decade. How this can best be accomplished is discussed in this paper. One path for future research concerning insects and dead wood in managed forests would be to investigate the number of insect species using the stumps of different tree species saved on logged areas. Such studies must extend over several decades. Because many species are dependent on various fungi associated with dead wood it would be desirable to study insect communities associated with the species of fungi not yet investigated. Many insects seem to be dependent on slow-growing trees, a substrate that disappears quickly in the managed forest for several reasons. We therefore need more research on these species.

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