Table 3 Taxonomic groups/guilds, important structural variables and a description of forest stands in which the highest species richness of individual TGs can be found

Vascular plants

DBHq (−), DBHsd (−), SRreg (+), Vol40 (−)

Species richness high in even-aged forest stands with higher light availability at the forest floor: therefore, Species richness higher in managed than unmanaged stands, low in beech-dominated stands

Herbs (subset of vascular plants)

DBHq (−), DBHsd (−), HEIGHTsd (−), SRreg (+), Vol40 (−)

Species richness high in even-aged coniferous-dominated stands, more species in managed than in unmanaged stands (owing to light availability at the forest floor and disturbances), high species numbers in spruce stands/ limestone and in pine stands/ sandy soil, low numbers in beech-dominated stands

Epiphytic bryophytes

DBHq (+), DBHsd (−), Vol40 (+)

Species richness high in old forest stands, most species in beech-dominated stands, vertically structured stands are too dark

Lignicolous bryophytes

DBHsd (−), Heightsd (−), SRreg (+), DW downed (+)

Species richness high in even-aged stands with a tree species-rich regeneration and downed deadwood, vertically structured stands are too dark

Terricolous bryophytes

DBHq (−), DBHsd (−), HEIGHTsd (−), SRreg (+), Vol40 (−), Bark (−), Flower (−), DW standing (−), Decay classes (−), SR (−)

Species richness high in young and even-aged stands with a tree species-rich regeneration

Epiphytic lichens

DBHq (+), SR (+), DBHsd (−), HEIGHTsd (−)

Species richness high in old and species-rich, even-aged stands, more species in unmanaged than in managed stands

Lignicolous lichens

DBHq (−), DBHsd (−), HEIGHTsd (−), SRreg (−), Vol40 (−), Decay classes (−)

Species richness high in young and even-aged stands with a tree species-rich regeneration

Fungi (deadwood inhabiting)

DBHsd (+), HEIGHTsd (+), SR (+), DW downed (+), Decay classes (+)

Species richness high in species-rich and vertically structured forest stands with downed deadwood and different deadwood decay classes

Fungi (soil/root-associated)

Not captured by applied forest structure variables

Araneae (ground-dwelling)

DBHsd (−), HEIGHTsd (−), Vol40 (−)

Species richness high in even-aged young forest stands

Araneae (vegetation)

DBHsd (+), HEIGHTsd (+), Vol40 (+), SR (+), Bark (+), Flower (+)

Species richness high in tree species-rich and vertically structured forest stands with regeneration and herbs

Coleoptera (carnivorous)

DBHq (+), DBHsd (+), SRreg (+), Vol40 (+), Bark (−)

Species richness high in uneven-aged, old forest stands with species-rich regeneration

Coleoptera (herbivorous)

DBHq (+), SRreg (+)

Species richness high in old forest stands with species-rich regeneration

Coleoptera (saproxylic)

DBHq (+), Vol40 (+)

Species richness high in old forest stands with large trees

Coleoptera (detritivorous without deadwood)

DBHq (+), DBHsd (+), SR (+), HEIGHTsd (+), SRreg (+)

Species richness high in tree species-rich, old and vertically structured forest stands with species-rich regeneration

Coleoptera (ground dwelling)

DBHq (+), SRreg (+)

Species richness high in old forest stands with species-rich regeneration

Coleoptera (herb-layer)

SRreg (+)

Species richness high in forest stands with species-rich regeneration

Coleoptera (tree-layer)

DBHq (+), Vol40 (+), DBHsd (+), SRreg (+), Bark (−)

Species richness high in old forest stands with large trees and species-rich regeneration

Hemiptera (carnivorous)

DBHq (+), DW standing (+), Decay classes (+)

Species richness high in old forest stands with standing deadwood and different deadwood decay classes

Hemiptera (herbivorous)

DBHq (+), SRreg (+), DBHsd (−), HEIGHTsd (−)

Species richness high in old and even-aged forest stands with species-rich regeneration

Hemiptera (ground dwelling)

DBHq (−), DBHsd (−), HEIGHTsd (−), Vol40 (−), Bark (−), Flower (−), DW standing (−)

Species richness high in young and even-aged forest stands without standing deadwood

Hemiptera (herb-layer)

DBHq (+), SRreg (+), Decay classes (+), DW standing (+), DBHsd (−), HEIGHTsd (−), Flower (−)

Species richness high in old and even-aged forest stands with species-rich regeneration, standing deadwood and different deadwood decay classes

Hemiptera (tree-layer)

DBHq (+), DBHsd (+), HEIGHTsd (+), Vol40 (+), Bark (+), Flower (+), DW downed (+), Decay classes (+), SR (+)

Species richness high in species-rich old and uneven-aged forest stands with downed deadwood and different deadwood decay classes

Coleoptera/Hemiptera (saproxylic)

DBHq (+), DBHsd (+), SRreg (+), Vol40 (+)

Species richness high in old and uneven-aged stands with large trees and a species-rich regeneration

Ants (Formicidae)

Vol40 (−), Bark (+), DBHsd (−), HEIGHTsd (−)

Species richness high in young and even-aged forest stands, especially Scots pine-(1), mixed beech (2) and oak-dominated forest stands (3). Norway spruce-dominated stands likely too dark and cold, temperature and light availability on forest floor important (therefore managed better than unmanaged stands)

Bark Beetles (Scolytinae)

Bark (+), Flower (+)

Species richness high in forest stands with high diversity of bark structure

Bark Beetles Antagonists

Vol40(+), Bark (+), Flower (+), DW standing (−), SR (+)

Species richness high in tree species-rich forest stands with different types of bark structures, flowering trees and large trees

Small mammals

Not captured by applied forest structure variables

Aves (birds)^a

DBHq (+), DBHsd (+), HEIGHTsd (+), SR (+), Bark (+), Flower (+), DW standing (+), DW downed (+), Decay classes (+), Vol40 (+)

Species richness high in old, species-rich and structurally rich forests stands with standing and downed deadwood

Microchiroptera (bats)^a

DBHq (+), DBHsd (+), SRreg (−), Vol40 (+), Bark (−), Flower (−)

Species richness high in species poor old uneven-aged forest stands

Sum of TGs^b

DBHq (+), SRreg (+), DW downed (+)

Species richness high in old stands with a species-rich regeneration and downed deadwood