Influence of forest thinning on the soil fauna: a systematic review of current knowledge and research gaps

Review paper

Key message

This systematic review shows that thinning effects on soil fauna abundance and species richness vary with thinning strategy and methodological approach. Positive responses are due to improved resources and favorable microclimate conditions, whereas negative responses were mainly associated with unfavorable microclimate conditions. However, current evidence remains fragmented, highlighting the need for standardized, comprehensive experiments to draw robust conclusions and generalize management recommendations.

Keywords
Macrofauna; Mesofauna; Microfauna; Arthropod; Forest management

Publication
BIRYOL, C., BALDY, V., PREVOSTO, B. et al. Influence of forest thinning on the soil fauna: a systematic review of current knowledge and research gaps. Annals of Forest Science 83, 6 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13595-025-01320-8

Data availability
Published peer reviewed articles are used as a data in this study and the data are available at Biryol C, Baldy V, Prévosto B, Trap J, Forey E, Pérez-Izquierdo L, Ballini C, Gauquelin T, Santonja M (2025). Forest thinning influence on soil fauna: a systematic review on current knowledge and research gaps. List of articles identified in the literature search on soil fauna responses to forest thinning or forest retention. [Data set] Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18036543

Handling editor
Erwin Dreyer