Beyond management: Proforestation enriches tree-related microhabitat diversity, but forest types determine their composition across Mediterranean and Alpine forests

Proforestation, defined as the long-term protection of existing forests to allow the self-development of old-growth attributes, is increasingly promoted as a nature-based solution for biodiversity conservation. However, its effects on tree-related microhabitats (TreMs), key indicators of forest structural complexity, remain unevenly documented across forest types. Most existing studies have largely examined TreM richness and abundance, while effects on TreM composition across contrasting forest