Enhancing Saproxylic Diversity; Collaboration with Utrecht University This research investigates the optimal timing and methods for felling trees to support saproxylic (deadwood-inhabiting) biodiversity in temperate forests. Due to historic depletion of deadwood habitats, the diversity of deadwood-dependent species in the Netherlands is significantly reduced, with about one third of European forest species reliant on deadwood. Forest managers have introduced deadwood enrichment initiatives, yet the specific effects on species communities—especially in fragmented, degraded landscapes—remain unclear.

Standardised ecological experiments are conducted year-round, with main periods from September to April or November through summer, utilising various treatments (felling, uprooting, damaging) and timings (seasonal variation). The project focuses on:

• Understanding how habitat fragmentation affects community composition and deadwood decomposition
• Investigating how the timing of deadwood creation influences saproxylic beetle communities
• Assessing the use of saproxylic beetles as indicators of habitat quality

Methods involve a combination of fieldwork, laboratory identification and sorting of insect specimens, data analysis, and potentially molecular techniques, depending on research interests.