Background and aims Forest structures create diverse ecological niches that sustain biodiversity across various taxa. Despite their ecological importance, the relationship between forest structure and belowground biodiversity, particularly soil microbial communities (bacterial and fungal), remains underexplored. This study investigates how forest structural attributes affect soil microbial diversity and community composition i...

Background and aims Deadwood plays a vital role in forest ecosystems, influencing soil biodiversity through nutrient enrichment and niche partitioning. While the effects of specific attributes of deadwood logs on soil biodiversity are well studied, it remains unclear whether and how the volume of deadwood affects soil biodiversity at the scale of forest stands. Additionally, the effects on soil biodiversity may differ between...

Old-growth forests are essential to preserve biodiversity and play an important role in sequestering carbon and mitigating climate change. However, their existence across Europe is vulnerable due to the scarcity of their distribution, logging, and environmental threats. Therefore, providing the current status of old-growth forests across Europe is essential to aiding informed conservation efforts and sustainable forest managem...