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The natural composition of forests has undergone significant changes over recent centuries. A closer-to-natural tree species composition has long been perceived as key to a high biodiversity. We investigated the impact on communities of click beetles (Elateridae) caused by changes in the tree species composition of spruce monocultures compared to reference sites of recently unmanaged natural beech forests. To collect data, passive interception traps were distributed within managed spruce stands of different age classes and natural beech forests of various developmental stages. The beetle species richness was slightly but not significantly higher in the beech forests. The saproxylic species group was significantly more common in the spruce stands, whereas the group of nonsaproxylic species was significantly more abundant in the beech stands. In the commercial stands, the significantly highest species richness was in the clearings (0–10-year-old stands), and at this forest age class, the vast majority of the beetle species occurred in the spruce stands. In the developmental stages of the natural forest, a slightly higher beetle richness was found at the disintegration stage. The study results suggested that different tree species compositions and stand structures affect the communities of click beetles and substantially change their species composition and thus their response to external influences. Therefore, management of stands using diverse silvicultural systems is recommended for creating diverse ecological niches in forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Springtails (Collembola) are organisms which mainly inhabit soil and litter layers but may account for around 25% of the canopy fauna. They can be also found in dead wood, which provides nutrients for these detritivores. The springtail, Tetrodontophora bielanensis, dwells in the litter and upper soil layers. In our research, we were focused on the environmental factors influencing this springtail in forests at the landscape and site level. We found that the springtail was positively influenced by the presence of Norway spruce (Picea abies) and with greater abundance in the south-eastern part of Krkonoše (Czech Republic). The negative influence of bark coverage, the presence of fungi, and the positive influence of an increasing circumference of tree was observed at the site level. The springtail, Tetrodontophora bielanensis, dwells in the litter and upper soil layers. This arthropod mainly inhabits humid litter and soil and prefers a cold climate. We determined the main factors influencing this springtail in forests at the landscape level in Krkonoše and site level in Orlické hory in the Czech Republic. We used passive trunk-tree traps. These traps are highly effective for sampling flightless fauna. We used 128 traps in Krkonoše and 17 traps in Orlické hory. The springtail was significantly positively influenced by the presence of Norway spruce (Picea abies) at the landscape level. Springtails' abundance was, furthermore, influenced by the spatial distribution of the sampling sites. The negative influence of bark coverage and the presence of fungi, and positive influence of an increasing dimension of trees were significant at the site level. We argue for a more diversified management of mountainous forests with respect to forest history. This appears to be also important for mountainous forests in protected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]