%0 Research article
%T Polypore communities in broadleaved boreal forests
%A Markkanen, Anni
%A Halme, Panu
%D 2012
%J Silva Fennica
%V 46
%N 3
%R doi:10.14214/sf.43
%U https://silvafennica.fi/article/43
%X The cover and extent of boreal broadleaved forests have been decreasing  due to modern forest management practices and fire suppression. As  decomposers of woody material, polypores are ecologically important  ecosystem engineers. The ecology and conservation biology of polypores  have been studied intensively in boreal coniferous forests. However,  only a few studies have focused on the species living on broadleaved  trees. To increase knowledge on this species group we conducted polypore  surveys in 27 broadleaved forests and 303 forest compartments (539 ha)  on the southern boreal zone in Finland and measured dead wood and forest  characteristics. We detected altogether 98 polypore species, of which  13 are red-listed in Finland. 60% of the recorded species are primarily  associated with broadleaved trees. The number of species in a local  community present in a broadleaved forest covered approximately 50  species, of which 30–40 were primarily associated with broadleaved  trees. The size of the inventoried area explained 67% of the variation  in the species richness, but unlike in previous studies conducted in  coniferous forests, dead wood variables as well as forest structure had  very limited power in explaining polypore species richness on forest  stand level. The compartments occupied by red listed Protomerulius  caryae had an especially high volume of living birch, but otherwise the  occurrences of red-listed species could not be predicted based on the  forest structure.