Determining structure and volume of the European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) deadwood in managed stands in the Rodopi Mountain Range National Park, Greece

The multifaceted role of deadwood in forest ecosystems has been widely recognized while it is regarded as an indicator of sustainable forest management. Nevertheless, there are hardly any data on deadwood volume and structure in managed forests in Greece. The study took place in beech forests of the Western and Central part of the Rodopi Mountain Range. The objective was to determine the amount, variability and quality of deadwood and to compare it with data from managed as well as natural forests. Data were collected on 30 randomly distributed circular plots of 0.1 ha. The results showed that the average deadwood amount (13.46 m(3) ha(-1)) was much lower compared to that recorded in other European forests and they highlighted the absence of large dead standing trees due to the management regime. The deadwood quality showed great variation in stages of decay.