Species richness of Coleoptera in mature managed and old-growth boreal forests in southern Finland

The beetle (Coleoptera) fauna of old-growth spruce (Picea abies) forest was compared with that from managed mature and overmature forests in southern Finland. Samples were collected from 9-11 sample plots in each case using 10 window-flight traps in each stand. These yielded a total of 43,289 beetles and 553 species of which 232 were associated with dead wood. The species richness of these saproxylic species was significantly higher in old-growth forests than in managed forests, and had very significant positive correlations with most dead-wood variables. Seventy eight percent of the saproxylic species were more abundant in old-growth than in mature managed forests, and their assemblages in managed and old-growth forests were distinctive with almost no overlap. On the other hand, species richness and assemblages of non-saproxylic species did not differ between the managed and old-growth forests. Obviously these species do not require as much attention as saproxylic species when conservation measures are planned in managed forests. An increase in the general level of decaying wood would improve the situation of many declining saproxylic species. Although the species richness of Coleoptera as a whole was higher in overmature than in mature managed stands, the Value of long-rotation stands in preserving species assemblages typical of old-growth forests may be limited. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.