Abstract
The populations of many boreal forest species have declined dramatically in landscapes dominated by forestry. The long-term survival of these species is affected by factors in the forest landscapes, but also by the properties of the species themselves, e.g. colonization capacity. During climate change, high colonizing capacity is essential to be able to establish new populations in sites that have become climatically suitable compensating for the loss in sites that have become unsuitable. Colonization is also crucial to cope with forest fragmentation and the shifting mosaic of a landscape dominated by forestry. This project studies colonization capacity of liverworts, mosses, insects, saproxylic fungi and epiphytic lichens. Colonizing capacity is inferred from species patterns of occupancy on young forested islands in a land uplift archipelago. Species occurring on young, small and isolated islands will have better chances to survive in the long term despite the antropogenic challenges described. In contrast, species occurring only on the mainland and on relatively old, non-isolated and large islands may need active help to disperse and establish new populations. Departing from the results of this first study characters promoting colonizing ability of fragmented habitats will be assessed.
Sweden