The contribution of forest edges to the regional biodiversity

This projects concentrates on two main questions

• What percentage of invertebrate species, which are commonly called "forest species", do depend (even partially) on ecotone structures of forest edges or do profit substantially from these structures.
• Which part of a forest edge (herbaceous fringe, shrubs, bushes) contributes most to the regional biodiversity.

Additionnal questions deal with

• Oldgrowth and dead-wood inhabiting invertebrates as groups of special consideration to nature protection.
• Predatory and parasiting Arthropods as antagonists of pests which are important to agriculture and forestry.

Publications to date

• A first record of the spider Pseudomaro aenigmatus for Switzerland
• Forest edges - centres of biodiversity

More details are available here (German text)!

Photo: Scaffolding set up at and within a forest edge of high structural diversity to allow setting of a variety of traps at various positions.