News
Biomass growth patterns in Swedish tree species
A new study by researchers from Linnaeus University and collaborators explores the relationships between tree age, latitude, and biomass growth in Sweden’s forests. The findings reveal significant variations in annual biomass increment across species, ages, and latitudes, offering fresh perspectives on forestry management, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation.
Key Findings:
- Trees continue to accumulate biomass at increasing rates with age, even at high latitudes.
- Deciduous species, such as oaks and beeches, show higher age-specific growth rates compared to evergreen species like spruces and pines.
- Biomass increment in spruce and beech has increased over time, potentially due to warming climates and extended growing seasons.
The study utilized dendrochronological methods to analyze over 26,000 tree-ring samples, spanning four species across a latitude range of more than 10°. These findings highlight the resilience and ecological significance of old-growth trees and their essential role in carbon sequestration and biodiversity support.
Implications for conservation and forestry:
This research underscores the importance of preserving old-growth forests to maintain their ecological and carbon storage functions. As climate change reshapes forest dynamics, such insights are crucial for developing adaptive strategies in forestry management and conservation planning.
Highlighted by Linnaeus University in a reportage on biodiversity conservation
We are pleased to share that our project has been featured in a recent reportage discussing innovative methods in biodiversity conservation. The article highlights the research on DNA barcoding for rapid and accurate insect identification, showcasing its potential to enhance the preservation of biological diversity.
This citation underscores the growing impact and recognition of our work in the scientific and conservation communities. You can read the full reportage here.
We are proud to contribute to advancing methods that support sustainable ecosystem management and biodiversity protection.
Using pheromone to explore beetle diversity in oak forests
This week, we’re featuring Christoffer, a master’s student with a keen interest in beetles. His research focuses on both longhorn beetles, which play important roles in forest health, and the oak pinhole borer (Platypus cylindrus), a pest species recently found in southern Sweden.
Christoffer has set up pheromone-baited traps spanning northern Skåne to Mälardalen, aiming to uncover any regional differences in beetle populations. By studying the number of species and the abundance of individuals in each area, he hopes to understand how beetle diversity varies across Sweden’s oak forests. After collecting the samples, he brings them to the lab to sort and identify each beetle.
His findings could reveal important patterns in beetle populations and oak ecosystems, offering insights that support conservation efforts for these unique habitats.
Wrapping up fieldwork at Vessers Udde!
The team has officially finished measuring oaks and hazel shrubs in the unique Vessers Udde Nature Reserve! Since this reserve has been left to grow naturally without human interference, it’s the perfect place to see how nature takes its own course over time.
It was an intense few weeks, with seven biologists joining forces to get the job done. Measuring hazel shrubs alone turned into a huge task, with a whopping 1,393 shrubs recorded!
Now, it’s all about diving into the data. The researchers are busy sorting and refining the numbers, getting ready to reveal new insights into the natural growth of forests and the beauty of untouched ecosystems. Stay tuned for what’s next.
In field with Goodyera repens
G. repens, known as Knärot in Swedish, is a species that primarily grows in old, moss-rich coniferous forests, indicating a stable and mature ecosystem. It is classified as vulnerable (VU) due to its sensitivity to disturbances such as logging and fire. The presence of G. repens suggests that the habitat is of high conservation value, often hosting a variety of other sensitive species. As an indicator species, its occurrence helps identify forest patches that are crucial for biodiversity, which is important for informing sustainable forestry practices.
How the fieldwork works?
Charlotte visits areas where G. repens has been previously recorded and compares them with control areas. These control areas are of two types: one type consists of areas of similar age as the Goodyera sites, and the other type is completely randomly selected. This setup helps in understanding both the habitat requirements of Goodyera and the influence of forest age and structure.
During each visit, Charlotte sets up a 50×50 meter survey plot. In these plots, she measures tree size as a proxy for the age of the forest stand, examines deadwood, and records the occurrence of indicator species. Notably, she also measures the height and size of dead trees to understand the structure of the habitat. Examples of indicator species found recently include the lichen Lecanactis abietina and the plant Anemone hepatica. These measuments aim to provide insights into the conservation value of the area.
After all the measurements are complete, Charlotte check if the area contains certain characteristics that help to assess the habitat’s nature value. This helps in determining the overall ecological quality of the forest patches.
Expected outcomes
By the end of the fieldwork, which is set to conclude in November, the data collected will be analyzed to contribute to models predicting the occurrence of G. repens. These models will help in guiding sustainable forestry management practices, ensuring that valuable habitats are preserved. Additionally, the project aims to validate G. repens as a reliable indicator for identifying high-biodiversity areas, thereby supporting conservation efforts at a broader scale.
Study highlights the importance of fire history for conserving fire-dependent beetles in boreal forests
This recent published paper written by our researchers analyzes the influence of recent forest fire history (12 years prior to sampling) on the occurrence of pyrophilic beetles, which benefit from forest fires, in a 10,000 km² region in Sweden. The researchers used smoke attraction traps to capture beetles at 21 forest sites with different fire histories and developed a new spatiotemporal connectivity measure to assess how the location and timing of fires affected beetle occurrence. They found that the presence of pyrophilic beetles was significantly related to fires that occurred nearby (within 2 km) and recently (within the last 2-3 years), whereas other beetle species did not show this relationship. These results suggest that prescribed burns for conservation purposes should be conducted close to other fires and at relatively frequent intervals to promote the biodiversity of pyrophilic beetles.
Milberg P, Bergman K-O, Jansson N, Norman H, Sundin F, Westerberg L, Johansson V. Short Spatiotemporal Fire History Explains the Occurrence of Beetles Favoured by Fire. Insects. 2024; 15(10):775. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15100775
Study reveals new insights on biodiversity in Swedish oak forests
This article analyzes the influence of climate change on the effectiveness of protected areas in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services. The study compares the biodiversity of plants and arthropods, as well as productivity (tree growth), in protected and non-protected areas along a latitudinal gradient in Sweden. The authors observed that plant and arthropod species richness increased with latitude but was not higher in protected areas compared to non-protected ones. Tree growth was also not associated with latitude or protection status. These results suggest that current conservation strategies may be insufficient to protect biodiversity and ecosystem services in the face of climate change, highlighting the need for more climate-adapted strategies.
Milberg, P. and Strandhag, J. How spruce and pine fare in a wooded meadow without management for a century. Baltic Forestry. 2024, 30(1): id 732; https://doi.org/10.46490/BF732
Harnessing remote sensing for biomass estimation in young scots pine forests
This paper explores the application of remote sensing technologies to estimate aboveground biomass in young Pinus sylvestris (Scots Pine) stands. Conducted in the Baltic region, the study compares different remote sensing methods, including LiDAR and aerial imagery, to traditional field measurements for biomass estimation. The findings demonstrate that remote sensing is a promising tool for biomass assessment, providing accurate estimates while reducing the time and labor associated with fieldwork. The research is valuable for forest managers and ecologists seeking efficient ways to monitor forest growth and carbon sequestration in young stands.
Long-term succession and decline: a century of small tree and shrub dynamics in a southern Swedish meadow
This recently publish paper investigates how small tree and shrub populations have changed over a century of natural succession in a protected meadow. The study revisits an area in southern Sweden that ceased traditional management practices like mowing in 1923, allowing the natural progression of the landscape from a meadow to a forest. By comparing data from a 1937 survey with fieldwork conducted in 2023, the authors found a significant decline in both population density and canopy cover of the species studied. Despite this, some trees and shrubs have persisted, demonstrating the slow pace of ecological change and highlighting the potential for restoration in semi-open landscapes.
This study emphasizes the importance of traditional land-use practices for maintaining biodiversity and suggests that without management, such species may continue to decline. The paper contributes valuable insights for conservationists and land managers looking to balance natural succession with the preservation of species-rich habitats like wooded meadows.
Comparing DNA metabarcoding, barcoding, and morphological methods
This paper investigates the effectiveness of three methods—DNA metabarcoding, standard barcoding, and traditional morphology-based identification—in identifying insect species and estimating biodiversity. The study evaluates their performance across various insect taxonomic groups (butterflies, bumblebees, and parasitic wasps) by comparing species assignment consistency.
Key findings:
- DNA barcoding showed an average assignment consistency of 49% across taxonomic groups, with parasitic wasps showing the lowest accuracy.
- Metabarcoding provided reliable biodiversity estimates that aligned well with morphological identification results, demonstrating its utility in large-scale biodiversity assessments.
- The study revealed that species assignment consistency is influenced by taxonomic group, sequence similarity thresholds, and geographic distance.
The findings highlight that while challenges remain, DNA barcoding and metabarcoding offer robust alternatives to traditional taxonomy, especially in biodiversity monitoring and conservation.
Long-distance movements and large population sizes of endangered butterfly species
New study published examines the dispersal patterns, population sizes, and conservation needs of three globally threatened butterfly species: the Marsh Fritillary, Apollo, and Large Blue.
Key findings:
- Population sizes: Despite being endangered, these species maintain large populations in some areas, with nearly 30,000 captures recorded.
- Long-distance movements: The Marsh Fritillary traveled up to 7.2 km, and the Apollo butterfly up to 6.4 km, indicating the need for expansive habitats.
- Density-dependent dispersal: As population density increased, butterflies were more likely to disperse to less crowded areas, improving survival.
Conservation implications:
The study stresses the need for habitat management and landscape-level conservation strategies to protect these species from threats like agriculture and climate change, ensuring their survival on Gotland.
THE WEBSITE IS ON!
We are excited to announce that the Biodiversa website is now live!
Here, you can learn more about the Conservation Ecology Group, based in Sweden, and their ongoing research. Our group consists of researchers and students working together to explore ways to better protect nature and halt species decline. Our research projects focus on monitoring wild populations, understanding pollinators and pollination relationships, and investigating the environmental needs of key species.
We will continue to update the website with more information about our research to improve science communication and make it accessible to everyone.
We hope you enjoy exploring our work!
