Lo que las oquedades esconden

Abstract

What the hollows hide? Saproxylic insects comprise the largest component of the biodiversity in terrestrial ecosystems. They are the responsible for the mechanical breakdown of woody material both directly, by tunnelling and feeding in living trees that are decaying, snags (standing dead trees) and logs (fallen trees, portions of trunk and large branches), or indirectly, through symbiotic relationships with fungi and other micro-organisms that humidify wood. In this paper we open a door to reflection about the importance of the tree holes for the saproxylic biodiversity in the Mediterranean forests.