Forests with deadwood host higher biodiversity after drought-induced die-off

My latest research examined Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) forests in Catalonia that affected by severe drought-induced tree mortality. Using data collected over a decade, we showed that forests experiencing die-off contain substantially more and more diverse deadwood, which in turn potentially supports higher biodiversity and greater structural complexity.

The results highlight that drought-driven disturbances, while often perceived as purely negative, can create new habitats and microclimatic refugia that benefit a wide range of organisms. At the same time, the study shows that the ecological consequences of deadwood accumulation depend strongly on local climate, with important implications for adaptive forest management under increasing drought stress.

The findings were featured by CREAF and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and published in Forest Ecology and Management.

CREAF news:

https://www.creaf.cat/en/articles/forests-dead-wood-have-23-more-biodiversity

UAB news:

https://www.uab.cat/web/newsroom/news-detail/forests-containing-deadwood-hold-23-more-biodiversity-1345830290613.html?detid=1345933975934

Reference:

Chowdhury, F. I., Lloret Maya, F., Jaime, L., Margalef Marrasé, J., & Espelta Morral, J. M. (2024). Deadwood and Tree-related Microhabitat's abundance and diversity are determined by the interplay of drought-induced die-off and local climate. Forest Ecology and Management, 563, Article 121989. DOI