BETA-FOR

New paper out in @jappliedecology.bsky.social! We investigated how forest structural heterogeneity and climate influence temperate dung beetles in production forests. 🪲

Elevation reverses the effects of forest structure on folivory and leaf asymmetry Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Congratulations to our postdoc Soumen on his new publication! 🎉🌳

In German beech forests, canopy gap and deadwood enrichment reduced insect damage but stressed trees at low elevations, while the opposite happened higher up.

👉 Local climate makes the difference.

📖 doi.org/10.1111/1365...

Seems like the findings of @johannaasch.bsky.social on #dungbeetle diversity well match to the temperature stress responses of the forest dung beetle to changing climates🌡🪲 Stay tuned for exciting further insights 🤩

📃 Paper from press release:
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Experimental enhancement of structural heterogeneity in forest landscapes promotes multidimensional hoverfly diversity Our results provide the first experimental evidence that enhancing structural heterogeneity at the landscape scale can restore multidimensional hoverfly diversity in temperate forests. They underscor...

Happy to share that our paper is out in @jappliedecology.bsky.social 😄

Experimentally increasing structural heterogeneity in forest landscapes (deadwood + canopy gaps) boosts taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity of hoverflies 🪰🌳

besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

4 PhD positions and 2 Postdoc positions (respective place of work in the text) in forest [...] Julius-Maximilians University Würzburg (JMU) and its partner Universities Georg-August-University of Göttingen (GAUG), Leipzig University (UL), University of Bayreuth (UB), Universität Bremen (UB), Un...

We are happy to announce that we will continue investigating interesting topics around forest management and biodiversity!
If you like to work in an interdisciplinary team and are interested in forest ecology, please have a look at our exciting new opportunities:
www.greenjobs.de/stellenanzei...

Ich durfte kürzlich ein bisschen über den tollen Waldmistkäfer erzählen und warum wir uns Sorgen um seine Zukunft machen 🪲

Nest mass in forest tits (Paridae) increases with elevation and decreasing body mass, promoting reproductive success Based on the concept of the extended phenotype, bird nest characteristics can serve as indicators for adaptations to changing environmental conditions. We examined how the nest mass of three cavity-n...

New study out @avianbiology.bsky.social 📃 Along our #BETAFOR elevational gradient 🗻 forest tits adjust their nest construction to macroclimatic conditions to maintain successful breeding as environmental conditions change.🐦🌳
Read it here: doi.org/10.1002/jav....

Light and ungulate browsing interact in shaping future woody plant diversity through natural regeneration Our results provide strong evidence that in the current context of increasing tree mortality and subsequent light availability, roe deer act as a keystone species. It is crucial to implement browsing....

New paper out 🌱📄: More light in canopy gaps 🌤️ does not offset the loss of tree diversity caused by roe deer browsing 🦌.
In paired exclosure experiments, roe deer browsing cut tree diversity by half🌳.
Read it here: besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Browsing by roe deer poses a serious problem, particularly for young and low-growing trees. (Image: Vanell / AdobeStock)

Deer browsing limits forest diversity – even in the light. New study in @jappliedecology.bsky.social by Würzburg ecologists and others: Even sunny canopy gaps cannot offset the impact of roe deer on forest regeneration. 🦌🌳☀️
➡️ www.uni-wuerzburg.de/en/news-and-...

Our #BETAFOR PhDs had an amazing time presenting their research at last week’s #gfoe2025 at @uni-wuerzburg.de! 🌟 Full of fresh ideas and inspiring discussions, it’s back to daily life. 💻✨
@claudiki.bsky.social @piambr.bsky.social @johannaasch.bsky.social @juliarothacher.bsky.social

Anne Chao and @piambr.bsky.social, the 100% perfect dialogue duo at #gfoe2025! ✨
Thank you for sharing statistical insights on sample coverage and it's standardization in the first @gfoesoc.bsky.social keynote session using #BETAFOR data.🌳🌱
@uni-wuerzburg.de @cofeuniwue.bsky.social

@piambr.bsky.social & Anne Chao presenting a stats -ecology dialogue about forest structural dynamics #gfoe2025

Nice way of presenting imo

An interesting discussion around how to get to a complete species sample.

Anne Chao:

"Data can't tell you everything! Your data are just not sufficient."

#gfoe2025

Some shots from my talk at the #gfoe2025 on forest heterogeneity and hoverfly diversity 🪰🌲
If you’d like to hear more about the topic - and with a slightly less shaky voice than on stage - I’m always happy to chat during the conference! @gfoesoc.bsky.social

Wie wird Artenvielfalt gefördert? Forschung zu Bayerns Wäldern streamen | Joyn Gut ein Drittel des Freistaats ist bewaldet – doch nur ein Bruchteil gilt als naturnah. Wie kann die Artenvielfalt gestärkt werden? Bayerns Forscher suchen im Rahmen des Projektes „Beta-FOR“ nach neue...

Ein kürzlich erschienener Fernsehbeitrag gibt Rückblicke auf das Anlegen unserer Experimentierflächen im Uniwald 🌳🍁 @uni-wuerzburg.de, Einblicke in die spannende Methodenvielfalt, die in unserem Projekt zum Einsatz kommt 🎤🎵📸🔬 und beleuchtet erste Ergebnisse. 🦉🐞🐝🦌
#BETAFOR #biodiversity

Inconsistent short-term effects of enhanced structural complexity on soil microbial properties across German forests Structural and biotic homogenization can result from forestry practices lacking promotion of canopy gaps and deadwood. This can lead to biodiversity l…

New paper out! 📃 Enhanced structural complexity in forests has limited effects on #soil abiotic properties, but #microbial activity and biomass respond site-specifically. Soil moisture and understory growth link to microbial functions. 💧🧫🌳🍁
Read it here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Experimental research @betafor.bsky.social finds that canopy gaps with deadwood boost insect diversity by supporting rare phylogenetic lineages 🧪

Natural dynamics and targeted management can help conserve them and their ecosystem functions 🌳 🌏

🔗 doi.org/10.1111/1365...

Canopy disturbances affect insect diversity via increased light availability and deadwood, but the effects of these two drivers on taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity differ. New insights from a replicated experiment, led by @juliarothacher.bsky.social @betafor.bsky.social doi.org/10.1111/1365...

Fresh #beetle delivery from the Bavarian Forest! 🍁🪲
In the next days we will start a lab #experiment to find out if and how #temperature alters their stress levels🌡😬 Taken together with field data this might help us understand effects of microclimate on #forestbiodiversity

@betafor.bsky.social

Have you ever wondered what happens when you put 400g of cow dung in the Bavarian Forest? - A feast! 🪲🪲
@betafor.bsky.social

Had fun presenting my poster about the effects of climate and forest structure on dung beetles at #EGU2025. Thanks to everyone in the Forest Floor session for showing so much interest in my somewhat different research topic! 🌲🪲 @betafor.bsky.social

Find us at #EGU25, where our PhD student @johannaasch.bsky.social of @betafor.bsky.social will present her research on how climate and forest structure shape forest dung beetle communities 🌲🪲
➡️ meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU25/EGU25-...

Testing the soundscape response to silvicultural interventions in a controlled before-and-after experiment In forest ecosystems, soundscape recordings are increasingly used to measure loss or shifts in biodiversity. In particular, acoustic indices can quant…

New #soundscape study out: We investigated the effect of experimental forest manipulation @betafor.bsky.social on four #acousic indices. 🌳🍁
Manipulation diversified the soundscapes with distinct differences between open and closed #canopy patches. Deadwood however only played a minor role 🧪🌍🐛🐦‍⬛