Changes in surface active myriapod communities during the restoration of woodland to wood pasture: a long-term study

The myriapod communities of an area of woodland restored to wood pasture through tree felling was compared with a control site in dense woodland, using pitfall trapping over a 28-year period. 14 species of millipede and 13 of centipede were recorded. Numbers of individual species varied over time even within the control plot. There were significantly more centipede individuals and species and more millipede species in the control plot than the restoration area. NMDS ordination indicated three groupings for the millipedes in the restored area with the community changing following the initial restoration to a tight cluster but then further movement in later years. In contrast the control community showed little variation. 2015 showed the greatest change from other years, probably due to high abundance of two species of polydesmid millipede that year, in both plots. The results are discussed in comparison with other studies looking at the impact of the edge effect of forests. The community of the restored area has perhaps not changed as much as expected, which may indicate a high degree of resilience, although it may be acting more like a forest clearing than an edge.