To

m G

itti

ng

s1, G

eo

rge S

mit

h2, M

ark

Wil

so

n1, L

au

ra F

ren

ch

2,

An

ne O

xb

rou

gh

1,

Sao

irse

O’D

on

og

hu

e2, Jo

sep

hin

e P

ith

on

1, V

icki O

’Do

nn

ell

3,

An

ne-M

ari

e M

cK

ee

2, S

ue Ire

mo

ng

er2

, Jo

hn

O’H

allo

ran

1, D

an

iel K

ell

y2,

Fra

ser

Mit

ch

ell

2, P

au

l G

ille

r11

BIO

FO

RE

ST

Pro

ject,

Dep

art

men

t o

f Z

oo

log

y,

Eco

log

y a

nd

Pla

nt

Scie

nce, U

niv

ers

ity C

oll

eg

e

Co

rk2

BIO

FO

RE

ST

Pro

ject,

Dep

art

men

t o

f B

ota

ny,

Tri

nit

y C

olleg

e D

ub

lin

3C

oasta

l an

d M

ari

ne R

eso

urc

es C

en

tre,

Un

ivers

ity C

oll

eg

e C

ork

Bio

div

ers

ity a

cro

ss t

he f

ore

st

cycle

in

ash

an

d S

itka s

pru

ce p

lan

tati

on

s:

Co

mp

ari

so

n

of

tren

ds b

etw

een

taxo

no

mic

gro

up

s a

nd

m

an

ag

em

en

t re

co

mm

en

dati

on

s

BIO

FO

RE

ST

Pro

jec

t O

bje

cti

ve

s

Assess t

he r

ange o

f bio

div

ers

ity in r

epre

senta

tive I

rish

pla

nta

tio

n fore

sts

at key s

tages o

f th

e fore

st cycle

Develo

p in

dic

ato

rs o

f Ir

ish p

lanta

tion f

ore

st bio

div

ers

ity

Assess t

he e

ffectivene

ss o

f th

e F

ore

st

Bio

div

ers

ity

Guid

elin

es

Me

tho

ds

3 f

ore

st ty

pes:

Sitka s

pru

ce (

Pic

ea s

itchensis

), a

sh

(Fra

xin

us

excels

ior)

and S

itka s

pru

ce-a

sh m

ixes

5 s

tructu

ral gro

ups r

eflecting d

egre

e o

f str

uctu

ral

deve

lopm

ent

Sites m

atc

hed f

or

geogra

ph

ica

l lo

catio

n,

soil

type,

altitude

and d

rain

age,

as far

as p

ossib

le

Surv

eye

d p

lants

, spid

ers

, hoverf

ly a

nd b

irds a

nd c

olle

cte

d

GIS

data

for

surr

oundin

g la

ndsca

pe

Ob

jec

tiv

es

of

this

pre

se

nta

tio

n

Identify

sim

ilarities a

nd

diffe

rences b

etw

een t

axon

om

ic

gro

ups in h

ow

their b

iod

ivers

ity:

-C

hang

es o

ver

the fore

st

cycle

-V

aries b

etw

een f

ore

st ty

pes

Dis

cuss m

ana

gem

ent

recom

mendatio

ns

Bio

div

ers

ity i

n a

sh

an

d S

itk

a s

pru

ce

pla

nta

tio

n f

ore

sts

Over

the fore

st

cycle

, ash a

nd S

itka s

pru

ce p

lanta

tio

ns

can s

upp

ort

div

ers

e v

egeta

tion,

spid

er,

hove

rfly

and b

ird

assem

bla

ges.

Assem

bla

ges

conta

in a

larg

e p

roport

ion o

f genera

list

specie

s a

nd w

e r

ecord

ed f

ew

sp

ecie

s o

f conserv

atio

n

import

ance

.

Matu

resta

nds d

eve

lop a

chara

cte

ristic w

oo

dla

nd f

lora

and

supp

ort

fore

st

specia

list spid

ers

and h

overf

lies.

Pre

-th

icke

t site

s (

red)

cle

arl

y s

ep

ara

ted

fro

m the

mo

re s

tructu

rally

de

ve

lop

ed

site

s (

all

gro

up

s).

Gre

ate

r va

ria

tio

n a

mon

g s

ite

s in

pre

-th

icke

t (r

ed)

com

pa

red

to

mo

st o

ther

str

uctu

ral gro

up

s (

sp

iders

, h

ove

rflie

s a

nd

bir

ds).

Se

mi-

matu

re a

nd

ma

ture

ash

site

s(g

reen

circle

s)

cle

arl

y s

epa

rate

d fro

m the

o

ther

str

uctu

ral g

rou

ps (

veg

eta

tio

n, sp

ide

rs a

nd

ho

ve

rflie

s).

Vege

tation

Vege

tation

Vege

tation

Vege

tation

Birds

Birds

Birds

Birds

As

se

mb

lag

e s

tru

ctu

re

Ma

nte

l te

st

an

aly

se

s o

f s

imil

ari

ty b

etw

ee

n

pa

tte

rns

of

va

ria

tio

n i

n s

pe

cie

s c

om

po

sit

ion

All

sit

es

, e

xclu

din

g p

re-t

hic

ke

t, m

atu

re a

sh

, a

nd

ou

tlie

rs (

n =

29

-43

)

S

pid

ers

H

ove

rflie

s

Bir

ds –

pre

se

nce

Bir

ds -

de

nsitie

s

Ve

ge

tatio

n –

pre

sen

ce

r

= 0

.22

5

r =

0.3

69

r

= 0

.12

1

Ve

ge

tatio

n -

co

ve

r r

= 0

.33

7

r =

0.4

78

r =

0.2

45

Sp

ide

rs

r

= 0

.56

r

= 0

.11

5

r =

0.3

73

Ho

ve

rflie

s

r =

0.1

21

r

= 0

.14

6

Re

d:

p <

0.0

1

Bro

wn

: p

< 0

.1

Usin

g a

n a

ppro

pri

ate

lyspecifie

d s

ingle

str

uctu

ral cla

ssific

ation a

s

afr

am

ew

ork

for

bio

div

ers

ity c

onserv

ation p

lann

ing in a

sh a

nd

Sitka s

pru

ce p

lanta

tio

n f

ore

sts

will

repre

sent

the b

road v

ariation in

assem

bla

ges

of th

ese taxo

nom

icgro

ups

Ma

nte

l te

st

an

aly

se

s o

f s

imil

ari

ty b

etw

ee

n

pa

tte

rns

of

va

ria

tio

n i

n s

pe

cie

s c

om

po

sit

ion

Veg

eta

tio

n v

s. s

pid

ers

at

the p

lot

sca

le

P

re-t

hic

ke

t T

hic

ket sp

ruce

Clo

sed

-ma

turi

ng s

pru

ce

Ma

ture

sp

ruce

Matu

re a

sh

n

30

17

2

0

13

1

3

Pre

se

nce-a

bse

nce

0.2

97

0.3

98

0

.181

0.2

37

0

.29

2

Abu

nd

ance

0.3

13

0.3

57

0

.178

-0

.093

0

.20

5

Re

d:

p <

0.0

1

Ora

nge

: p <

0.0

5

Bro

wn:

p <

0.1

Se

lectin

g c

om

ple

menta

ry s

ites for

conserv

atio

non t

he b

asis

of

their v

egeta

tion a

sse

mbla

ges w

ill te

nd t

o c

aptu

re t

he r

ang

e o

f assem

bla

ge v

ariatio

n in s

pid

ers

. B

ut th

is p

att

ern

may r

eflect

majo

r

environm

enta

ldiffe

rences b

etw

een s

ites,

so

may n

ot app

ly w

hen

lookin

g a

t sites f

rom

a n

arr

ow

environm

enta

lra

nge.

Co

mp

ari

so

n b

etw

ee

n t

ax

on

om

ic g

rou

ps

of

tre

nd

s i

n s

pe

cie

s r

ich

ne

ss

ac

ros

s t

he

ag

e-c

yc

le

Tota

l specie

s r

ichness:

Most

gro

ups that

show

diffe

rences, exce

pt

bry

ophyte

s,

have h

igh s

pecie

s r

ichness in t

he p

re-t

hic

ket

sta

ge a

nd

low

specie

s r

ichness in t

he inte

rmedia

te s

tages.

In S

itka s

pru

ce,

the m

atu

re s

tage g

enera

lly h

as h

igh

specie

s r

ichness.

Co

mp

ari

so

n b

etw

ee

n t

ax

on

om

ic g

rou

ps

of

tre

nd

s i

n s

pe

cie

s r

ich

ne

ss

ac

ros

s t

he

ag

e-c

yc

le

Fo

rest spe

cie

s r

ich

ne

ss:

Ge

nera

lly in

cre

ases w

ith

incre

asin

g s

tructu

ral d

eve

lop

me

nt in

all

the

ta

xo

no

mic

gro

ups.

Op

en

sp

ecie

s r

ichn

ess:

Ge

nera

lly d

ecre

ases a

fter

the

in

itia

l sta

ge

s o

f str

uctu

ral d

eve

lop

men

t.

Ma

y in

cre

ase a

ga

in a

t th

e m

atu

re s

tag

e (

va

scu

lar

pla

nts

in

Sitka

spru

ce

, sp

iders

in

all

site

s).

Pa

irw

ise

co

rre

lati

on

s o

f s

pe

cie

s r

ich

ne

ss

be

twe

en

ta

xo

no

mic

gro

up

s I

Tota

l specie

s r

ichness:

Few

sig

nific

ant

corr

ela

tion

s.

But

sig

nific

ant

corr

ela

tion b

etw

een

spid

ers

an

d h

overf

lies

consis

tent acro

ss m

ost

str

uctu

ral gro

ups.

Spid

er

specie

s r

ichness

10

86

42

0

Hoverfly species richness

6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Pa

irw

ise

co

rre

lati

on

s o

f s

pe

cie

s r

ich

ne

ss

be

twe

en

ta

xo

no

mic

gro

up

s I

I

Fore

st

specie

s r

ich

ne

ss:

All

pa

irw

ise

corr

ela

tio

ns

sig

nific

ant,

or

nearly

sig

nific

ant

reflectin

g lo

w

specie

s r

ichness in p

re-

thic

ket

sites.

Most re

lationsh

ips (

exce

pt

betw

een s

pid

ers

and

hoverf

lies)

do n

ot

hold

w

hen p

re-t

hic

ket

sites

rem

oved.

Spid

er

specie

s r

ichness

10

86

42

0

Hoverfly species richness

6 5 4 3 2 1 0

Pa

irw

ise

co

rre

lati

on

s o

f s

pe

cie

s r

ich

ne

ss

be

twe

en

ta

xo

no

mic

gro

up

s I

II

Plo

t scale

(vegeta

tio

n v

s. spid

ers

):

Few

sig

nific

ant

corr

ela

tions.

Diffe

rences in r

esponses o

f specie

s a

ssem

bla

ges to

str

uctu

ral deve

lopm

en

t

com

plic

ate

s inte

rpre

tation.

Vegeta

tion s

pecie

s r

ichness

40

30

20

10

Spider species richness

26

24

22

20

18

16

14

12

10

Spid

er

clu

ste

r gro

up

open thic

ket/open

matu

re s

pru

ce

mid

/matu

re s

pru

ce

Co

mp

ari

so

n b

etw

ee

n a

sh

an

d S

itk

a s

pru

ce

Fe

w o

vera

ll d

iffe

ren

ces in

sp

ecie

s r

ich

ne

ss:

To

tal spe

cie

s r

ichn

ess o

f sp

ide

rs a

nd

bry

op

hyte

s s

ignific

an

tly h

igh

er

in S

itka

spru

ce

.

Gre

ate

r sp

ecie

s r

ichn

ess o

f fo

rest sp

iders

in

Sitka

spru

ce

.

Gre

ate

r sp

ecie

s r

ichn

ess o

f va

scu

lar

pla

nts

an

dsap

roxylic

ho

verf

lies

in a

sh

.

Cro

p s

pec

ies (

ash

or

Sit

ka s

pru

ce)

do

es n

ot

have a

majo

r eff

ect

on

sta

nd

-scale

bio

div

ers

ity i

n

pla

nta

tio

n f

ore

sts

Eff

ec

t o

f a

dd

ing

as

h t

o a

Sit

ka

sp

ruc

e p

lan

tati

on

Fe

w d

iffe

rence

s in s

pecie

s r

ichness w

ith

in p

lanta

tions b

etw

een a

sh a

nd S

itka

spru

ce c

om

po

nents

.

Did

not

dete

ct

man

y d

iffe

rences in s

pecie

s r

ichness b

etw

ee

n p

ure

an

d m

ixed

pla

nta

tions (

bu

t due t

o p

roble

ms o

f m

atc

hin

g s

ites?).

Diffe

rences w

ithin

pla

nta

tio

ns in a

ssem

bla

ge c

om

positio

n b

etw

een

ash a

nd

Sitka s

pru

ce c

om

pon

ents

.

Rete

ntio

n o

f m

atu

re a

sh c

om

pone

nt

of

mix

ed p

lanta

tions in

to t

he n

ext

rota

tion

will

enha

nce p

lanta

tion b

iod

ivers

ity.

Ad

din

g a

sh

to

a S

itka s

pru

ce p

lan

tati

on

in

cre

ase

s

veg

eta

tio

n, sp

ider

an

d h

overf

ly b

iod

ivers

ity a

t th

e

pla

nta

tio

n s

cale

Fo

res

try M

an

ag

em

en

t

Re

co

mm

en

da

tio

ns

: F

ore

st

pla

nn

ing

Modific

atio

ns t

o F

ore

st B

iod

ivers

ity G

uid

elin

es:

Ch

oose im

pro

ved g

rassla

nd s

ite

s o

ver

sem

i-natu

ral

hab

itats

for

affore

sta

tion

Esta

blis

h p

lanta

tions in c

lose p

roxim

ity t

o s

em

i-natu

ral

wo

od

land (

vegeta

tio

n).

Leave s

mall

unp

lante

d a

reas t

o m

ain

tain

gaps t

hro

ug

h t

he

fore

st cycle

(vegeta

tion,

spid

ers

, hoverf

lies).

Leave s

mall

are

as o

f w

et

hab

itat unp

lante

d a

nd a

vo

id

dra

ina

ge w

here

possib

le (

hoverf

lies).

Desig

n c

om

ple

x e

dg

es a

nd le

ave b

oun

dari

es u

np

lante

d t

o

incre

ase p

roport

ion a

nd d

ivers

ity o

f edge h

abitat

(birds).

Leave a

rea

s o

f scru

b u

np

lante

d (

birds).

Re

co

mm

en

da

tio

ns

: F

ore

st

ma

na

ge

me

nt

Modific

atio

ns t

o F

ore

st B

iod

ivers

ity G

uid

elin

es:

Guid

elin

es t

o h

elp

fore

ste

rs to ide

ntify

pote

ntially

import

ant

hab

itats

for

gro

un

d f

lora

, spid

er

and h

overf

ly

bio

div

ers

ity (

vegeta

tion,

spid

ers

, hoverf

lies).

Rig

oro

us thin

nin

g t

o p

revent

canopy c

losu

re (

vegeta

tion,

spid

ers

, hoverf

lies).

Reta

in m

atu

re S

itka s

pru

ce f

ore

sts

, w

here

there

is n

o r

isk

of

dam

age t

o a

djo

inin

g s

em

i-natu

ral ha

bitats

(vegeta

tion,

spid

ers

).

Rete

ntion o

f sta

ndin

g a

nd f

alle

n t

rees (

hoverf

lies).

Sta

te b

od

y f

or

pro

mo

tin

g f

ore

str

y r

es

ea

rch

En

vir

on

men

tal P

rote

cti

on

Ag

en

cy

Nati

on

al D

ev

elo

pm

en

t P

lan

Pro

jec

t F

un

din

g

Pro

ject W

ebsite

http://b

iofo

rest.ucc.ie