Species diversity in a beech windthrow

On the basis of long-term surveys of permanent plots and traps we examined the communities of saproxylic beetles, fungi, herbs and trees on an untreated 22 hectare large beech forest windthrow and asked whether the results lend support to the intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH). We studied species richness and the similarity of community composition. Additionally, we grouped species by their frequency trend over time to successional model types to examine whether, corresponding to the IDH, the diversity of these groups explained peak richness at intermediate intervals after the disturbance.

In line with the IDH, species richness showed a hump-backed temporal course for alpha and gamma diversity. We found evidence for a linear succession directly after the disturbance. This, however, did not continue, and in all species groups a partial recovery of the initial community was observed. In the case of fungi, herbs and trees, but not for saproxylic beetles, alpha diversity was drive...