Qualitative and Quantitative Characterization of Deadwood Related to the Accessibility of Managed Beech Forests of the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park

The Effects of Forest Accessibility on the Quantitative and Qualitative Characteristics of Deadwood: A Comparison between Recreational and Natural Forests

“…This is most likely related to the fact that it is deadwood in the D1 class, which is the most interesting for collectors, considering its low degree of decomposition. The lack of D1 deadwood is particularly alarming, considering that it represents the base for the future development of all other decay classes [2]. In line with the results of this study, von Oheimb et al [47] showed that two-thirds of snags are in DC3.…”

“…One forest parcel was selected in the recreational forest and two forest parcels were selected in the natural forest, each with an area of 30 hectares. Based on the slope gradient range, the slope direction towards the nearest road, the road type, and the distance from the road, the studied area was divided into three access classes [2]: Easy-recreational forest (RE-F), Medium-natural forest 1 (NA-F1), and Difficult-natural forest 2 (NA-F2). The specifications of each access class are explained in Table 1.…”

“…The specifications of each access class are explained in Table 1. The classification of forest access indicators in this study are based on a retrospective view of the study by Lo Monaco et al [2] and the study's exact measurement of each of the effective criteria (slope, slope direction towards the road, road type and distance from the road). In general, there is no accepted standard deadwood assessment [28].…”

“…The composition and structure of forests evolve over many years, and with the increase in the complexity of the structure, the diversity and richness of species increase in the forest [1,2]. Accordingly, conservation of forests and existing diversity is one of the long-term goals of forest management [3][4][5].…”

“…One of the issues raised regarding the health of forests is the maintenance of a number of trees until they reach the stage of decay, because many studies have shown that the presence of deadwood is very important for forest health and fertility [7,8]. Deadwood is indeed an important structural characteristic of old natural forests that performs a wide range of ecological and biochemical functions [2,9]. Deadwood can be used as an effective and essential indicator in the nutrient cycle, as a means of carbon storage in the long term, promoting forest regeneration, maintaining production and sustainability, and assessing the biodiversity of forest ecosystems [10][11][12].…”