@article{HaggeMuellerBirkemoeetal.2021,
  author    = {Hagge, Jonas and M{\"u}ller, J{\"o}rg and Birkemoe, Tone and Buse, J{\"o}rn and Christensen, Rune Haubo Bojesen and Gossner, Martin M. and Gruppe, Axel and Heibl, Christoph and Jarzabek-M{\"u}ller, Andrea and Seibold, Sebastian and Siitonen, Juha and Soutinho, Jo{\~a}o Gon{\c{c}}alo and Sverdrup-Thygeson, Anne and Thorn, Simon and Drag, Lukas},
  title     = {What does a threatened saproxylic beetle look like? Modelling extinction risk using a new morphological trait database},
  series = {Journal of Animal Ecology},
  volume    = {90},
  journal   = {Journal of Animal Ecology},
  number    = {8},
  doi       = {10.1111/1365-2656.13512},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-244717},
  pages     = {1934 -- 1947},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {The extinction of species is a non-random process, and understanding why some species are more likely to go extinct than others is critical for conservation efforts. Functional trait-based approaches offer a promising tool to achieve this goal. In forests, deadwood-dependent (saproxylic) beetles comprise a major part of threatened species, but analyses of their extinction risk have been hindered by the availability of suitable morphological traits. To better understand the mechanisms underlying extinction in insects, we investigated the relationships between morphological features and the extinction risk of saproxylic beetles. Specifically, we hypothesised that species darker in colour, with a larger and rounder body, a lower mobility, lower sensory perception and more robust mandibles are at higher risk. We first developed a protocol for morphological trait measurements and present a database of 37 traits for 1,157 European saproxylic beetle species. Based on 13 selected, independent traits characterising aspects of colour, body shape, locomotion, sensory perception and foraging, we used a proportional-odds multiple linear mixed-effects model to model the German Red List categories of 744 species as an ordinal index of extinction risk. Six out of 13 traits correlated significantly with extinction risk. Larger species as well as species with a broad and round body had a higher extinction risk than small, slim and flattened species. Species with short wings had a higher extinction risk than those with long wings. On the contrary, extinction risk increased with decreasing wing load and with higher mandibular aspect ratio (shorter and more robust mandibles). Our study provides new insights into how morphological traits, beyond the widely used body size, determine the extinction risk of saproxylic beetles. Moreover, our approach shows that the morphological characteristics of beetles can be comprehensively represented by a selection of 13 traits. We recommend them as a starting point for functional analyses in the rapidly growing field of ecological and conservation studies of deadwood.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{BaeMuellerFoersteretal.2022,
  author    = {Bae, Soyeon and M{\"u}ller, J{\"o}rg and F{\"o}rster, Bernhard and Hilmers, Torben and Hochrein, Sophia and Jacobs, Martin and Leroy, Benjamin M. L. and Pretzsch, Hans and Weisser, Wolfgang W. and Mitesser, Oliver},
  title     = {Tracking the temporal dynamics of insect defoliation by high-resolution radar satellite data},
  series = {Methods in Ecology and Evolution},
  volume    = {13},
  journal   = {Methods in Ecology and Evolution},
  number    = {1},
  doi       = {10.1111/2041-210X.13726},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-258222},
  pages     = {121-132},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Quantifying tree defoliation by insects over large areas is a major challenge in forest management, but it is essential in ecosystem assessments of disturbance and resistance against herbivory. However, the trajectory from leaf-flush to insect defoliation to refoliation in broadleaf trees is highly variable. Its tracking requires high temporal- and spatial-resolution data, particularly in fragmented forests. In a unique replicated field experiment manipulating gypsy moth Lymantria dispar densities in mixed-oak forests, we examined the utility of publicly accessible satellite-borne radar (Sentinel-1) to track the fine-scale temporal trajectory of defoliation. The ratio of backscatter intensity between two polarizations from radar data of the growing season constituted a canopy development index (CDI) and a normalized CDI (NCDI), which were validated by optical (Sentinel-2) and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) data as well by intensive caterpillar sampling from canopy fogging. The CDI and NCDI strongly correlated with optical and TLS data (Spearman's ρ = 0.79 and 0.84, respectively). The ΔNCDII\(_{Defoliation(A-C)}\) significantly explained caterpillar abundance (R\(^{2}\) = 0.52). The NCDI at critical timesteps and ΔNCDI related to defoliation and refoliation well discriminated between heavily and lightly defoliated forests. We demonstrate that the high spatial and temporal resolution and the cloud independence of Sentinel-1 radar potentially enable spatially unrestricted measurements of the highly dynamic canopy herbivory. This can help monitor insect pests, improve the prediction of outbreaks and facilitate the monitoring of forest disturbance, one of the high priority Essential Biodiversity Variables, in the near future.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{ThornSeiboldLeverkusetal.2020,
  author    = {Thorn, Simon and Seibold, Sebastian and Leverkus, Alexandro B and Michler, Thomas and M{\"u}ller, J{\"o}rg and Noss, Reed F and Stork, Nigel and Vogel, Sebastian and Lindenmayer, David B},
  title     = {The living dead: acknowledging life after tree death to stop forest degradation},
  series = {Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment},
  volume    = {18},
  journal   = {Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment},
  number    = {9},
  doi       = {10.1002/fee.2252},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-218575},
  pages     = {505 -- 512},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {Global sustainability agendas focus primarily on halting deforestation, yet the biodiversity crisis resulting from the degradation of remaining forests is going largely unnoticed. Forest degradation occurs through the loss of key ecological structures, such as dying trees and deadwood, even in the absence of deforestation. One of the main drivers of forest degradation is limited awareness by policy makers and the public on the importance of these structures for supporting forest biodiversity and ecosystem function. Here, we outline management strategies to protect forest health and biodiversity by maintaining and promoting deadwood, and propose environmental education initiatives to improve the general awareness of the importance of deadwood. Finally, we call for major reforms to forest management to maintain and restore deadwood; large, old trees; and other key ecological structures.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{MuellerMitesserSchaeferetal.2023,
  author    = {M{\"u}ller, J{\"o}rg and Mitesser, Oliver and Schaefer, H. Martin and Seibold, Sebastian and Busse, Annika and Kriegel, Peter and Rabl, Dominik and Gelis, Rudy and Arteaga, Alejandro and Freile, Juan and Leite, Gabriel Augusto and de Melo, Tomaz Nascimento and LeBien, Jack and Campos-Cerqueira, Marconi and Bl{\"u}thgen, Nico and Tremlett, Constance J. and B{\"o}ttger, Dennis and Feldhaar, Heike and Grella, Nina and Falcon{\´i}-L{\´o}pez, Ana and Donoso, David A. and Moriniere, Jerome and Buřivalov{\´a}, Zuzana},
  title     = {Soundscapes and deep learning enable tracking biodiversity recovery in tropical forests},
  series = {Nature Communications},
  volume    = {14},
  journal   = {Nature Communications},
  doi       = {10.1038/s41467-023-41693-w},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-358130},
  year      = {2023},
  abstract  = {Tropical forest recovery is fundamental to addressing the intertwined climate and biodiversity loss crises. While regenerating trees sequester carbon relatively quickly, the pace of biodiversity recovery remains contentious. Here, we use bioacoustics and metabarcoding to measure forest recovery post-agriculture in a global biodiversity hotspot in Ecuador. We show that the community composition, and not species richness, of vocalizing vertebrates identified by experts reflects the restoration gradient. Two automated measures - an acoustic index model and a bird community composition derived from an independently developed Convolutional Neural Network - correlated well with restoration (adj-R² = 0.62 and 0.69, respectively). Importantly, both measures reflected composition of non-vocalizing nocturnal insects identified via metabarcoding. We show that such automated monitoring tools, based on new technologies, can effectively monitor the success of forest recovery, using robust and reproducible data.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{MaihoffFriessHoissetal.2023,
  author    = {Maihoff, Fabienne and Friess, Nicolas and Hoiss, Bernhard and Schmid-Egger, Christian and Kerner, Janika and Neumayer, Johann and Hopfenm{\"u}ller, Sebastian and B{\"a}ssler, Claus and M{\"u}ller, J{\"o}rg and Classen, Alice},
  title     = {Smaller, more diverse and on the way to the top: Rapid community shifts of montane wild bees within an extraordinary hot decade},
  series = {Diversity and Distributions},
  volume    = {29},
  journal   = {Diversity and Distributions},
  number    = {2},
  doi       = {10.1111/ddi.13658},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-312126},
  pages     = {272-288},
  year      = {2023},
  abstract  = {Aim Global warming is assumed to restructure mountain insect communities in space and time. Theory and observations along climate gradients predict that insect abundance and richness, especially of small-bodied species, will increase with increasing temperature. However, the specific responses of single species to rising temperatures, such as spatial range shifts, also alter communities, calling for intensive monitoring of real-world communities over time. Location German Alps and pre-alpine forests in south-east Germany. Methods We empirically examined the temporal and spatial change in wild bee communities and its drivers along two largely well-protected elevational gradients (alpine grassland vs. pre-alpine forest), each sampled twice within the last decade. Results We detected clear abundance-based upward shifts in bee communities, particularly in cold-adapted bumble bee species, demonstrating the speed with which mobile organisms can respond to climatic changes. Mean annual temperature was identified as the main driver of species richness in both regions. Accordingly, and in large overlap with expectations under climate warming, we detected an increase in bee richness and abundance, and an increase in small-bodied species in low- and mid-elevations along the grassland gradient. Community responses in the pre-alpine forest gradient were only partly consistent with community responses in alpine grasslands. Main Conclusion In well-protected temperate mountain regions, small-bodied bees may initially profit from warming temperatures, by getting more abundant and diverse. Less severe warming, and differences in habitat openness along the forested gradient, however, might moderate species responses. Our study further highlights the utility of standardized abundance data for revealing rapid changes in bee communities over only one decade.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{HeurichZeisKuechenhoffetal.2016,
  author    = {Heurich, Marco and Zeis, Klara and K{\"u}chenhoff, Helmut and M{\"u}ller, J{\"o}rg and Belotti, Elisa and Bufka, Luděk and Woelfing, Benno},
  title     = {Selective Predation of a Stalking Predator on Ungulate Prey},
  series = {PLoS ONE},
  volume    = {11},
  journal   = {PLoS ONE},
  number    = {8},
  doi       = {10.1371/journal.pone.0158449},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-166827},
  pages     = {e0158449},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {Prey selection is a key factor shaping animal populations and evolutionary dynamics. An optimal forager should target prey that offers the highest benefits in terms of energy content at the lowest costs. Predators are therefore expected to select for prey of optimal size. Stalking predators do not pursue their prey long, which may lead to a more random choice of prey individuals. Due to difficulties in assessing the composition of available prey populations, data on prey selection of stalking carnivores are still scarce. We show how the stalking predator Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) selects prey individuals based on species identity, age, sex and individual behaviour. To address the difficulties in assessing prey population structure, we confirm inferred selection patterns by using two independent data sets: (1) data of 387 documented kills of radio-collared lynx were compared to the prey population structure retrieved from systematic camera trapping using Manly's standardized selection ratio alpha and (2) data on 120 radio-collared roe deer were analysed using a Cox proportional hazards model. Among the larger red deer prey, lynx selected against adult males—the largest and potentially most dangerous prey individuals. In roe deer lynx preyed selectively on males and did not select for a specific age class. Activity during high risk periods reduced the risk of falling victim to a lynx attack. Our results suggest that the stalking predator lynx actively selects for size, while prey behaviour induces selection by encounter and stalking success rates.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{GrafLettenmaierMuelleretal.2022,
  author    = {Graf, Marlene and Lettenmaier, Ludwig and M{\"u}ller, J{\"o}rg and Hagge, Jonas},
  title     = {Saproxylic beetles trace deadwood and differentiate between deadwood niches before their arrival on potential hosts},
  series = {Insect Conservation and Diversity},
  volume    = {15},
  journal   = {Insect Conservation and Diversity},
  number    = {1},
  doi       = {10.1111/icad.12534},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-262507},
  pages     = {48 -- 60},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Deadwood provides a variety of habitats for saproxylic beetles. Whereas the understanding of the drivers promoting saproxylic beetle diversity has improved, the process of deadwood colonisation and beetle's potential to trace resources is poorly understood. However, the mechanisms facilitating deadwood detection by saproxylic beetles appears to be essential for survival, as deadwood is usually scattered in time and space. To investigate whether saproxylic beetles distinguish before their arrival on potential hosts between alive trees and deadwood (lying, stumps, standing), deadwood arrangement (aggregated, distributed) and different heights on standing resources (bottom = 0.5 m, middle = 4-5 m, top = 7.30-11.60 m), we sampled saproxylic beetles with sticky traps in a deadwood experiment. We found on average 67\% higher abundance, 100\% higher species numbers and 50-130\% higher species diversity of colonising saproxylic beetles consistently for all deadwood types compared to alive trees with a distinct community composition on lying deadwood compared to the other resource types. Aggregated deadwood arrangement, which is associated with higher sun-exposure, had a positive effect on species richness. The abundance, species number and diversity, was significantly higher for standing deadwood and alive trees at the bottom section of tree trunks. In contrast to living trees, however, the vertical position had an additional effect on the community composition on standing deadwood. Our results indicate that saproxylic beetles are attracted to potential deadwood habitats and actively select specific trunk sections before arriving on potential hosts. Furthermore, this study highlights the importance of sun-exposed resources for species richness in saproxylic beetles.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{GeorgievChaoCastroetal.2020,
  author    = {Georgiev, Kostadin B. and Chao, Anne and Castro, Jorge and Chen, Yan-Han and Choi, Chang-Yong and Fontaine, Joseph B. and Hutto, Richard L. and Lee, Eun-Jae and M{\"u}ller, J{\"o}rg and Rost, Josep and Żmihorski, Michal and Thorn, Simon},
  title     = {Salvage logging changes the taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional successional trajectories of forest bird communities},
  series = {Journal of Applied Ecology},
  volume    = {57},
  journal   = {Journal of Applied Ecology},
  number    = {6},
  doi       = {10.1111/1365-2664.13599},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-214887},
  pages     = {1103 -- 1112},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {Salvage logging following natural disturbances may alter the natural successional trajectories of biological communities by affecting the occurrences of species, functional groups and evolutionary lineages. However, few studies have examined whether dissimilarities between bird communities of salvaged and unsalvaged forests are more pronounced for rare species, functional groups and evolutionary lineages than for their more common counterparts. We compiled data on breeding bird assemblages from nine study areas in North America, Europe and Asia, covering a 17-year period following wildfire or windstorm disturbances and subsequent salvage logging. We tested whether dissimilarities based on non-shared species, functional groups and evolutionary lineages (a) decreased or increased over time and (b) the responses of rare, common and dominant species varied, by using a unified statistical framework based on Hill numbers and null models. We found that dissimilarities between bird communities caused by salvage logging persisted over time for rare, common and dominant species, evolutionary lineages and for rare functional groups. Dissimilarities of common and dominant functional groups increased 14 years post disturbance. Salvage logging led to significantly larger dissimilarities than expected by chance. Functional dissimilarities between salvaged and unsalvaged sites were lower compared to taxonomic and phylogenetic dissimilarities. In general, dissimilarities were highest for rare, followed by common and dominant species. Synthesis and applications. Our research demonstrates that salvage logging did not decrease dissimilarities of bird communities over time and taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic dissimilarities persisted for over a decade. We recommend resource managers and decision makers to reserve portions of disturbed forest to enable unmanaged post-disturbance succession of bird communities, particularly to conserve rare species found in unsalvaged disturbed forests.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{DoerflerCadotteWeisseretal.2020,
  author    = {Doerfler, Inken and Cadotte, Marc W. and Weisser, Wolfgang W. and M{\"u}ller, J{\"o}rg and Gossner, Martin M. and Heibl, Christoph and B{\"a}ssler, Claus and Thorn, Simon and Seibold, Sebastian},
  title     = {Restoration-oriented forest management affects community assembly patterns of deadwood-dependent organisms},
  series = {Journal of Applied Ecology},
  volume    = {57},
  journal   = {Journal of Applied Ecology},
  number    = {12},
  doi       = {10.1111/1365-2664.13741},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-217918},
  pages     = {2429 -- 2440},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {Land-use intensification leads to loss and degradation of habitats and is thus a major driver of biodiversity loss. Restoration strategies typically focus on promoting biodiversity but often neglect that land-use intensification could have changed the underlying mechanisms of community assembly. Since assembly mechanisms determine the diversity and composition of communities, we propose that evaluation of restoration strategies should consider effects of restoration on biodiversity and community assembly. Using a multi-taxon approach, we tested whether a strategy that promotes forest biodiversity by restoring deadwood habitats also affects assembly patterns. We assessed saproxylic (i.e. deadwood-dependent) beetles and fungi, as well as non-saproxylic plants and birds in 68 beech forest plots in southern Germany, 8 years after the commencement of a restoration project. To assess changes in community assembly, we analysed the patterns of functional-phylogenetic diversity, community-weighted mean (CWM) traits and their diversity. We hypothesized that restoration increases habitat amount and heterogeneity of deadwood and reduces canopy cover and thereby decreases the strength of environmental filters imposed by past silvicultural intensification, such as a low amount in deadwood. With the restoration of deadwood habitats, saproxylic beetle communities became less functionally-phylogenetically similar, whereas the assembly patterns of saproxylic fungi and non-saproxylic taxa remained unaffected by deadwood restoration. Among the traits analysed, deadwood diameter niche position of species was most strongly affected indicating that the enrichment of large deadwood objects led to lower functional-phylogenetical similarity of saproxylic beetles. Community assembly and traits of plants were mainly influenced by microclimate associated with changes in canopy cover. Synthesis and applications. Our results indicate that the positive effects of deadwood restoration on saproxylic beetle richness are associated with an increase in deadwood amount. This might be linked to an increase in deadwood heterogeneity, and therefore decreasing management-induced environmental filters. Deadwood enrichment can thus be considered an effective restoration strategy which reduces the negative effects of intense forest management on saproxylic taxa by not only promoting biodiversity but also by decreasing the environmental filters shaping saproxylic beetle communities, thus allowing the possibly for more interactions between species and a higher functional diversity.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{ZielewskaBuettnerHeurichMuelleretal.2018,
  author    = {Zielewska-B{\"u}ttner, Katarzyna and Heurich, Marco and M{\"u}ller, J{\"o}rg and Braunisch, Veronika},
  title     = {Remotely Sensed Single Tree Data Enable the Determination of Habitat Thresholds for the Three-Toed Woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus)},
  series = {Remote Sensing},
  volume    = {10},
  journal   = {Remote Sensing},
  number    = {12},
  issn      = {2072-4292},
  doi       = {10.3390/rs10121972},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-197565},
  year      = {2018},
  abstract  = {Forest biodiversity conservation requires precise, area-wide information on the abundance and distribution of key habitat structures at multiple spatial scales. We combined airborne laser scanning (ALS) data with color-infrared (CIR) aerial imagery for identifying individual tree characteristics and quantifying multi-scale habitat requirements using the example of the three-toed woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus) (TTW) in the Bavarian Forest National Park (Germany). This bird, a keystone species of boreal and mountainous forests, is highly reliant on bark beetles dwelling in dead or dying trees. While previous studies showed a positive relationship between the TTW presence and the amount of deadwood as a limiting resource, we hypothesized a unimodal response with a negative effect of very high deadwood amounts and tested for effects of substrate quality. Based on 104 woodpecker presence or absence locations, habitat selection was modelled at four spatial scales reflecting different woodpecker home range sizes. The abundance of standing dead trees was the most important predictor, with an increase in the probability of TTW occurrence up to a threshold of 44-50 dead trees per hectare, followed by a decrease in the probability of occurrence. A positive relationship with the deadwood crown size indicated the importance of fresh deadwood. Remote sensing data allowed both an area-wide prediction of species occurrence and the derivation of ecological threshold values for deadwood quality and quantity for more informed conservation management.},
  language  = {en}
}