Multi–taxa forest ecosystem diversity patterns across management types and disturbance intensities

The thesis investigates forest structure and biodiversity dynamics focusing on the intricate interplay between natural processes and human activities. The research aims to advance our understanding of forest ecosystems through quantitative methods and their applications in assessing the effects of natural and human disturbances on multi-taxa forest biodiversity. The work has two main aims. Firstly, it seeks to review and test quantitative methodologies for describing forest structure and useful for assessing the relationship between forest structure and forest biodiversity. Secondly, it aims to broaden our understanding of the impacts of both human and natural disturbances on multi-taxa forest biodiversity. The study comprises five primary research papers, published or ready for submission. Paper I investigates correlations between stand structural indices and parameters across different forest types, revealing significant relationships and emphasizing the importance of using a combination of indices and parameters for forest management and biodiversity conservation. Paper II analyzes temporal changes in stand structural indicators and their implications for forest biodiversity monitoring, showcasing the effectiveness of stand structural indicators in evaluating forest habitat conservation status. Paper III explores the potential of stand structural indicators as predictors of forest biodiversity, revealing their significance in modeling multi-taxa biological assemblages. Paper IV investigates changes in plant biodiversity, soil conditions, and forest structure in response to the presence of black locust, studied as natural disturbance in forest ecosystems, and forest management regimes, studied as human disturbance in forest ecosystems. Paper V explores the complex interplay between forest management, as human disturbance in forest ecosystems, geomorphological processes, as natural disturbance in forest ecosystems, and biodiversity in alpine spruce forests, highlighting the role of geomorphic features in shaping biodiversity patterns. The synthesis of findings across the range of studies underscores the intricate interplay between forest stand structure and multi-taxa forest biodiversity, shaped by both natural and human-induced disturbances. The results provide comprehensive insights into the complex dynamics driving biodiversity patterns in forest ecosystems and underscore the need for holistic approaches to management and conservation of forests and their biodiversity.