Massive outbreaks of defoliating Geometrid moths caused heavy mortality of mountain birch across areas of thousands of square kilometers in northern Scandinavia during the first decade of the 2000s. The outbreaks left enormous amounts of dead wood, which are currently undergoing decomposition. We know little about the responses of wood-decaying (saproxylic) organisms to this rapid and extensive input of dead woody material to the birch forest ecosystem. The aim of the present project is to gain a better understanding of how saproxylic beetles – which are a key group of wood-decaying organisms – respond to dead wood left by moth outbreaks.

This project is part of the research project “What comes after the new pest? Ecosystem transitions following insect pest outbreaks induced by climate change in the European high North”. The project is run by the Birchmoth team at UIT and NINA, in collaboration with NMBU.

For more info, see the website of main project: http://www.birchmoth.no/

The project is a collaborative effort between:

• NMBU
• University of Tromsø
• The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)

Researchers from NMBU