The restoration ecology of saproxylic biodiversity in deadwood-deprived landscapes

Deadwood sustains up to 40% of forest biodiversity and drives carbon and nutrient cycling, yet centuries of removal have depleted deadwood-dependent (saproxylic) species across Europe. Although forest policy now promotes deadwood retention and enrichment, how decomposer communities actually recover remains poorly understood. This PhD project examines the ecological mechanisms behind saproxylic community assembly. It combines two field experiments in the Netherlands: a large scale experimental deadwood enrichment study (at the Veluwe) and the long-term LOGLIFE common-garden experiment to assess how creation method, seasonal timing, within-log habitat heterogeneity, tree species, and decay stage shape beetle and other decomposer invertebrate communities. Four work packages address this: WP1 – Effects of artificial deadwood creation techniques on beetle assemblages across decay stages WP2 – Influence of seasonal timing of deadwood creation on colonisation WP3 – Habitat heterogeneity within logs, sampled by compartment across eight tree species WP4 – Fourteen-year successional trajectories of invertebrate communities, testing persistence of tree-species effects Together, these work packages will clarify how habitat quality, continuity, and heterogeneity filter saproxylic species during colonisation and decay—providing an evidence base for designing deadwood restoration strategies that support biodiversity recovery in fragmented forest landscapes.