In the thirteen forest reserves, which are partly or fully private or owned by municipalities, coarse woody debris was quantified to assess naturalness and inform future conservation status of these reserves. Deadwood quantity (volume) and quality (diameter sizes, decomposition stages, broadleaf/conifer ratios, logs/snags ratios and species compositions) were measured and compared with data from nearby managed forests, based on forest inventory plots from the Slovenian Forest Service. The quantity and quality of dead wood found in the reserves indicate a high degree of naturalness. Over all the reserves, the mean volume of deadwood was 118 m3/ha, a value that is approaching the amount found in old-growth forests in the region. In contrast,average dead wood volume in surrounding managed forests was 22 m3/ha,and individual logs and snags had much smaller diameters than in reserves. The differences in the quantity and quality of dead wood found in reserves and managed forests are similar to those reported in other regions of Europe.
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