Table 1 Overview of analyzed taxonomic/functional groups and sampling dates, based on data of the German biodiversity exploratories project

Vascular plants

2009 (Boch et al. 2009a)

Herbs (subset of vascular plants)

2009 (Boch et al. 2009a)

Epiphytic bryophytes

2007, 2008 (Müller et al. 2009)

Lignicolous bryophytes

2007, 2008 (Müller et al. 2009)

Terricolous bryophytes

2007, 2008 (Müller et al. 2009)

Epiphytic lichens

2007, 2008 (Boch et al. 2009b)

Lignicolous lichens

2007, 2008 (Boch et al. 2009b)

Fungi (deadwood inhabiting)

2011 (Baber and Bauhus 2013)

Forest fungi (soil and root-associated)

2011 (Buscot et al. 2021)

Araneae (web spiders)

Ground-dwelling and vegetation layer

2008 (Gossner et al. 2017a)

Coleoptera (beetles)

Carnivorous, herbivorous, decomposer, ground-dwelling, herb- and tree-layer

2008 (Gossner et al. 2017b)

Hemiptera (bugs)

Carnivorous, herbivorous, ground-dwelling, herb- and tree-layer

2008 (Gossner et al. 2017c)

Coleoptera and Hemiptera (saproxylic)

2008 (Gossner et al. 2017b, c)

Ambrosia beetles (bark beetles)

2010 (Gossner and Weisser 2016)

Bark beetle antagonists

2010 (Weisser and Gossner 2016)

Formicidae (ants)

2008 (Grevé et al. 2017)

Aves (birds)

2012 (Jung et al. 2019)

Small mammals

2008 (Heinze et al. 2008)

Microchiroptera (bats)

2010 (Jung and Tschapka 2016)

Sum of species of all analyzed TGs^a