Forest biodiversity benefits from warmer microclimate, but only in colder regions
- 1University of Goettingen
Abstract
The diversity of many forest-dwelling organisms depends on forest structure, but it remains unknown to which degree this is mediated by microclimatic temperature, and whether microclimatic buffering is universally beneficial for forest biodiversity. In 234 broad-leaved forest plots across nine climatically differing regions in Germany, we measured micro- and macroclimatic temperatures, canopy cover, and deadwood volume after experimental manipulations of forest structure through thinning operations and gap cuts. We surveyed 21 taxonomic groups, representing plants, bacteria, fungi, and animals, to assess how their diversity depended on the predictors. Multi-taxon diversity, and diversity of ten separate taxonomic groups, increased from closed to open canopies. Only necrophagous beetles were more diverse in closed stands. These effects of canopy cover on diversity were partly mediated by microclimatic temperatures. Thereby, diversity responses to microclimatic temperature depended on the macroclimatic context. In regions with colder summers, locally warmer microclimates in canopy gaps had strong positive effects on biodiversity, while these effects were not found in regions with warmer summers. Consequently, management strategies aimed at multi-taxon forest diversity conservation should be chosen based on the regional climate, favoring canopy gaps primarily in colder regions, and taking future climate warming into consideration.
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BibTeX
@misc{pierick2026forest,
title = {{Forest biodiversity benefits from warmer microclimate, but only in colder regions}},
author = {K. Pierick and R. M. Link and O. Decker and J. Asch and P. Baldrian and C. Baessler and J. Bittermann and V. Brabcova and P. M. Bradler and M. Bulusu and M. Cadotte and L. Carlson and S. Cesarz and A. Chao and A. Classen and N. Daume and B. M. Delory and S. Dittrich and B. Lira Dyson and M. Ehbrecht and N. Eisenhauer and H. Feldhaar and J. Ferenczy and A. Fichtner and R. Hausmann and C. V. Horvath and M. Junginger and P. Kacic and L. Koestler-Albert and D. Kraus and L. Lettenmaier and C. Masso Estaje and O. Mitesser and A. Mori and J. Mueller and G. von Oheimb and M. K. Peters and R. Pickert and F. van der Plas and J. Rodriguez Valenzuela and R. Julia and K. Sattler and Scher},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.64898/2026.10.20.760414},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.20.760414v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Forest biodiversity benefits from warmer microclimate, but only in colder regions
AU - K. Pierick
AU - R. M. Link
AU - O. Decker
AU - J. Asch
AU - P. Baldrian
AU - C. Baessler
AU - J. Bittermann
AU - V. Brabcova
AU - P. M. Bradler
AU - M. Bulusu
AU - M. Cadotte
AU - L. Carlson
AU - S. Cesarz
AU - A. Chao
AU - A. Classen
AU - N. Daume
AU - B. M. Delory
AU - S. Dittrich
AU - B. Lira Dyson
AU - M. Ehbrecht
AU - N. Eisenhauer
AU - H. Feldhaar
AU - J. Ferenczy
AU - A. Fichtner
AU - R. Hausmann
AU - C. V. Horvath
AU - M. Junginger
AU - P. Kacic
AU - L. Koestler-Albert
AU - D. Kraus
AU - L. Lettenmaier
AU - C. Masso Estaje
AU - O. Mitesser
AU - A. Mori
AU - J. Mueller
AU - G. von Oheimb
AU - M. K. Peters
AU - R. Pickert
AU - F. van der Plas
AU - J. Rodriguez Valenzuela
AU - R. Julia
AU - K. Sattler
AU - Scher
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/20
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.10.20.760414
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.20.760414v1
AB - The diversity of many forest-dwelling organisms depends on forest structure, but it remains unknown to which degree this is mediated by microclimatic temperature, and whether microclimatic buffering is universally beneficial for forest biodiversity. In 234 broad-leaved forest plots across nine climatically differing regions in Germany, we measured micro- and macroclimatic temperatures, canopy cover, and deadwood volume after experimental manipulations of forest structure through thinning operations and gap cuts. We surveyed 21 taxonomic groups, representing plants, bacteria, fungi, and animals, to assess how their diversity depended on the predictors. Multi-taxon diversity, and diversity of ten separate taxonomic groups, increased from closed to open canopies. Only necrophagous beetles were more diverse in closed stands. These effects of canopy cover on diversity were partly mediated by microclimatic temperatures. Thereby, diversity responses to microclimatic temperature depended on the macroclimatic context. In regions with colder summers, locally warmer microclimates in canopy gaps had strong positive effects on biodiversity, while these effects were not found in regions with warmer summers. Consequently, management strategies aimed at multi-taxon forest diversity conservation should be chosen based on the regional climate, favoring canopy gaps primarily in colder regions, and taking future climate warming into consideration.
ER -