Multitaxon assessment reveals inconsistent biodiversity responses to forest structural complexity in temperate forests

Abstract

Increasing forest structural complexity is a key objective of future-proof forest management, with potential benefits for biodiversity. However, empirical evidence for consistent biodiversity-structure relationships across taxa is still limited. We investigated whether structurally more complex forests support greater species richness and higher multidiversity across taxonomic and functional groups in 19 mature forest plots in Flanders, Belgium. As one of the most densely populated and urbanized regions in Europe, with limited and highly fragmented forest cover, Flanders provides a particularly informative and policy-relevant context to test structure-biodiversity relationships. Its forests, often dominated by a few tree species and subject to long-term anthropogenic pressures and management, represent a realistic gradient of structural complexity. Structural complexity was quantified using a Structural Complexity Index (SCI), and biodiversity was assessed using a multidiversity index integrating scaled species richness across five taxonomic and seven arthropod functional groups. Using mixed-effects models and multivariate Bayesian analyses, we tested both direct effects of SCI on biodiversity and the covariation in species richness among groups. Contrary to expectations, SCI was not a consistent predictor of multidiversity, and most groups showed weak or inconsistent responses. These findings might suggest that structural complexity alone may be insufficient to enhance biodiversity in simplified forests. HighlightsO_LIForest structural complexity does not consistently predict biodiversity. C_LIO_LIResponses vary among taxonomic and functional groups. C_LIO_LICross-taxon congruence in diversity is limited and scale-dependent. C_LIO_LIKeywords: Forest structural complexity; Multidiversity, Species richness; Functional groups; Sustainable forest management C_LI