DOI: 10.5061/dryad.tmpg4f5b0
title: Data from: Managing canopy cover to preserve forest microclimate and diverse macroarthropod communities in times of drought

description: Forest canopies play a vital role in buffering macroclimatic conditions,
 creating stable microclimates that support species unable to survive under
 the surrounding climate. However, disturbances driven by climate change
 alongside management interventions can disrupt canopy cover, altering
 forest microclimates and, consequently, forest-related biodiversity. To
 investigate these dynamics, we monitored forest floor temperature, soil
 moisture, and macroarthropod communities along a canopy cover gradient in
 the National Park Brabantse Wouden, Belgium. Forest structure was
 inventoried in 2022 following the protocol of the Flemish Forest
 Inventory. The data was complemented by additional measurements in 2023
 such as average litter depth, canopy cover estimations with a densiometer,
 vegetation surveys, and dead wood surveys using the line-intersect method.
 Forest microclimate (forest floor temperature and soil moisture) was
 recorded using TMS4-loggers throughout the 2022–2023 growing seasons at a
 15-minute time scale and, subsequently, cleaned and aggregated at the
 daily scale (daily maximum forest floor temperature and soil volumetric
 water content). Macroarthropod activity-density and species richness were
 sampled using pitfall traps during the 2022 summer. The pitfall traps were
 emptied biweekly between June and October 2022, after which species were
 manually identified and counted. Generalized linear mixed models and
 piecewise structural equation modelling were used to assess the influence
 of forest structure. For a more detailed methodology, we refer to the
 related paper. Paper synthesis: To sustain a stable and well-buffered
 microclimate, we recommend maintaining canopies as closed as possible.
 Even small openings reduce the forest’s ability to buffer temperature,
 with canopy covers below 50% leading to temperature amplification. Closed
 canopies should be combined with isolated canopy gaps to promote habitat
 heterogeneity. Additionally, deadwood amounts should increase to provide
 shelter during droughts. This balanced management approach fosters stable
 forest microclimates and diverse habitats, supporting long- and short-term
 macroarthropod biodiversity in temperate broadleaf forests.
description: # Data from: Managing canopy cover to preserve forest microclimate and
 diverse macroarthropod communities in times of drought Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.tmpg4f5b0](10.5061/dryad.tmpg4f5b0) ## Description of the
 data and file structure This dataset contains information on microclimate,
 macroclimate, macroarthropods (woodlice and ground beetles), and local
 site characteristics as part of a study in Meerdaal Forest, Belgium,
 investigating the effect of forest structure, resulting from varying
 management intensities, on microclimate and macroarthropod communities.
 Data were collected between 2022 and 2023 across 36 plots, of which 25
 were dominated by *Quercus robur* and 11 by *Fagus sylvatica*. .CSV files
 have a semicolon delimiter and comma as decimal ### Files and variables
 #### File: Plot-characteristics.csv **Description:** Characteristics of
 each individual plot regarding forest structure and vegetation #####
 Variables * PlotID: each plot has a unique ID to link all measurements
 together * lon: longitude (WGS84) * lat: latitude (WGS84) * TreeSpecies:
 dominant tree species of the plot, either ‘Oak’ (*Quercus robur*) or
 ‘Beech’ (*Fagus sylvatica*) * CanopyCover: percentage of the canopy that
 is closed as measured by a densiometer (%) * BasalArea: the total
 cross-sectional area of all tree stems measured at breast height (m²/ha) *
 DeadWood: the volume of dead wood present within the plot, measured
 through a line intersect method (m³/ha) * LitterDepth: the average litter
 depth from multiple measurements within the plot (m) * VegetationCoverage:
 the estimated coverage of the forest floor vegetation (%) *
 VegetationRichness: the total number of species found in the vegetation
 survey #### File: Micro-and-Macroclimate-data.csv **Description:** Macro-
 and microclimate data at the daily time scale. Macroclimate data was
 measured by an automated weather station in Beauvechain, Belgium, and
 obtained through the Belgian Royal Meteorological Institute. #####
 Variables * PlotID: each plot has a unique ID to link all measurements
 together * Date: ehe date of the measurement (YYYY-MM-DD) * Tmacro: daily
 maximum air temperature (°C, macroclimate) as measured by the Beauvechain
 automated weather station * Precip: daily precipitation (mm) as measured
 by the Beauvechain automated weather station * WindSpeed: daily average
 wind speed (m/s) as measured by the Beauvechain automated weather station
 * Tmicro: daily maximum forest floor temperature (°C, microclimate) * VWC:
 daily average soil volumetric water content #### File:
 Macroarthropod-data.csv **Description:** Data regarding the
 activity-density of woodlice and ground beetles for each pitfall trap and
 each collection date. Note that destroyed traps received a count value
 "NA". ##### Variables * PlotID: each plot has a unique ID to
 link all measurements together * TrapID: each plot has two traps, one left
 and one right of the microclimate sensor * Date: the collection date of
 the pitfall trap * Period: the number of the collection period *
 SpeciesGroup: indicates whether the species is a woodlice or a ground
 beetle * Species: scientific name of the species * Count: the number of
 individuals caught