Response of the ground-dwelling invertebrate community following a tornado and salvage logging at Powdermill Nature Reserve

Background/Question/Methods: In forest ecosystems, natural disturbances maintain local and landscape heterogeneity, but anthropogenic disturbances may remove essential biological legacies that influence successional pathways. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a tornado and subsequent salvage logging of timber on ground-dwelling invertebrate communities over three years.

Results/Conclusions: Ground-dwelling invertebrate diversity decreased one year after the tornado, increased the following year, and was similar to undisturbed forest by year three. Although invertebrate diversity was similar to undisturbed forest after salvaging, distinct communities were found in salvaged treatments, while composition was similar in windthrow and undisturbed forest. These patterns were primarily influenced by the responses of Collembola, Diplopoda, and Coleoptera. Environmental factors driving the responses of invertebrates were soil temperature, soil moisture, ground-level vegetation cover, and canopy openness. These findings contribute to understanding the initial responses of the forest community following natural and anthropogenic disturbances.