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Key Message <p>The arbitrary 8-degree scale of dead wood decomposition is an excellent tool for studying changes in the flora of lichens and plants on decaying logs in forest ecosystems. With this scale, we showed that species turnover closely resembles the relay floristics scenario in the most species-rich forests.</p> Context <p>The succession of saproxylic organisms colonizing deadwood is commonly assessed using wood_decay scales with four to eight classes.</p> Aims <p>We applied McCullough’s (1948) eight-class decay scale to determine whether the succession of lichens, liverworts, mosses, and vascular plants aligns more closely with relay floristics or initial floristic composition.</p> Methods <p>We surveyed 630 logs across four montane forest types in southern Poland, assessing log traits, species richness, cover, and beta-diversity. Principal component analysis and multifuzzy set ordination were used to identify environmental factors affecting species composition.</p> Results <p>Species richness patterns differed among groups: liverworts, mosses, and vascular plants displayed a humped-back relationship with decay, while lichens declined along the gradient. Species turnover resulted from shifts between epiphytic and epixylic taxa and varied among forest types. Decay stage correlated strongly with soil contact and moisture, and the combined effects of decay and altitude showed the highest cumulative correlation with species composition (<i>r</i> = 0.65). Several taxa were significantly confined to the eighth decay class, confirming the usefulness and non-redundancy of all eight classes.</p> Conclusion <p>McCullough’s eight‑class decay scale effectively captures successional changes in epixylic flora and provides sufficient resolution for ecological analyses. High species turnover—particularly in lichens—suggests that successional trajectories are more consistent with relay floristics than with initial floristic composition, whereas vascular plants act as late‑stage colonizers with low turnover. Forest type and altitude strongly shaped species composition along the decay continuum.</p>

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Lichen and plant succession on decaying logs: McCullough’s (1948) decomposition scale revisited

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月3日

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  • Damian Chmura,
  • Monika Staniaszek-Kik,
  • Jan Żarnowiec

摘要

Key Message

The arbitrary 8-degree scale of dead wood decomposition is an excellent tool for studying changes in the flora of lichens and plants on decaying logs in forest ecosystems. With this scale, we showed that species turnover closely resembles the relay floristics scenario in the most species-rich forests.

Context

The succession of saproxylic organisms colonizing deadwood is commonly assessed using wood_decay scales with four to eight classes.

Aims

We applied McCullough’s (1948) eight-class decay scale to determine whether the succession of lichens, liverworts, mosses, and vascular plants aligns more closely with relay floristics or initial floristic composition.

Methods

We surveyed 630 logs across four montane forest types in southern Poland, assessing log traits, species richness, cover, and beta-diversity. Principal component analysis and multifuzzy set ordination were used to identify environmental factors affecting species composition.

Results

Species richness patterns differed among groups: liverworts, mosses, and vascular plants displayed a humped-back relationship with decay, while lichens declined along the gradient. Species turnover resulted from shifts between epiphytic and epixylic taxa and varied among forest types. Decay stage correlated strongly with soil contact and moisture, and the combined effects of decay and altitude showed the highest cumulative correlation with species composition (r = 0.65). Several taxa were significantly confined to the eighth decay class, confirming the usefulness and non-redundancy of all eight classes.

Conclusion

McCullough’s eight‑class decay scale effectively captures successional changes in epixylic flora and provides sufficient resolution for ecological analyses. High species turnover—particularly in lichens—suggests that successional trajectories are more consistent with relay floristics than with initial floristic composition, whereas vascular plants act as late‑stage colonizers with low turnover. Forest type and altitude strongly shaped species composition along the decay continuum.