Forest type matters: Global review about the structure of oak dominated old-growth temperate forests

Abstract The structure and composition of temperate old-growth oak forests are reviewed based on 108 case studies about 175 stands. The stands were classified as dry, dry-mesic and mesic forest types and the variables (density, basal area, size distribution, dead wood volume) were compared among them. Compared to the global range of this forest type, the United States was overrepresented, while West and Central Asia, Europe and Central America were underrepresented. In mesic oak forests the basal area and density of large trees were higher than in dry stands, while tree density and sapling density were lower. The proportion of oaks in tree and sapling layers were the highest in dry and lowest in mesic forests. The size distribution of trees followed negative exponential or rotated sigmoid types. In dry habitats all size categories are dominated by oaks, while in mesic type, only large ones followed the same trend. The volume of dead wood and the proportion of downed dead wood increased along the humidity gradient. In stands with repeated measurements, basal area and relative density of oaks decreased in the last decades. The understanding of the structure and composition of temperate old-growth oak forests is necessary for their restoration and application of close to nature forestry principles.