Principal determinants of species and functional diversity of carabid beetle assemblages during succession at post-industrial sites

2017 ◽  
Vol 107 (4) ◽  
pp. 466-477 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Sipos ◽  
J. Hodecek ◽  
T. Kuras ◽  
A. Dolny
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Restoration Ecology ◽  
Ground Beetle ◽  
Late Phase ◽  
Species Traits ◽  
Ground Beetles ◽  
Trophic Niche ◽  
Beetle Assemblages ◽  
Post Industrial

AbstractAlthough ecological succession is one of the principal focuses of recent restoration ecology research, it is still unclear which factors drive this process and positively influence species richness and functional diversity. In this study we sought to elucidate how species traits and functional diversity change during forest succession, and to identify important factors that determine the species in the observed assemblages. We analyzed species richness and functional diversity of ground beetle assemblages in relation to succession on post-industrial localities after habitat deterioration caused by spoil deposition. We selected ground beetles as they are known to be sensitive to landscape changes (with a large range of responses), and their taxonomy and ecology are generally well-known. Ground beetles were sampled on the spoil heaps during the last 30 years when spontaneous succession occurred. To calculate functional diversity, we used traits related to habitat and trophic niche, i.e. food specialization, wing morphology, trophic level, and bio-indication value. Ground beetle species were found to be distributed non-randomly in the assemblages in the late phase of succession. Ordination analyses revealed that the ground beetle assemblage was significantly associated with the proportion of forested area. Environmental heterogeneity generated assemblages that contained over-dispersed species traits. Our findings indicated that environmental conditions at late successional stages supported less mobile carnivorous species. Overall, we conclude that the decline in species richness and functional diversity in the middle of the studied succession gradient indicated that the assemblages of open habitats had been replaced by species typical of forest ecosystems.

scholarly journals Features of ground beetle (Coleoptera, Carabidae) assemblages in areas of meadow biocenosis with and without Sosnovsky’s hogweed (Heracleum sosnowskyi)

2020 ◽  
pp. 75-83
Author(s):  
Elena S. Pliskevich
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Ground Beetle ◽  
Ground Beetles ◽  
Forest Species ◽  
Heracleum Sosnowskyi ◽  
Beetle Assemblages ◽  
Biodiversity Index ◽  
Meadow Species ◽  
Pterostichus Oblongopunctatus

As a result of a study conducted in 2018, 41 species of ground beetles from 23 genera were identified in the Ushachsky District of the Vitebsk Region (Belarusian Lakeland) as a part of ground beetle assemblages of meadow biocenosis with clogging by the invasive Sosnovsky’s hogweed, whereas without clogging with hogweed 38 species from 21 genera were identified. Species Notiophilus biguttatus (Fabricius, 1779), Dyschiriodes globosus (Herbst, 1784), Bembidion quadrimaculatum (Linnaeus, 1761), Pterostichus oblongopunctatus (Fabricius, 1787), P. minor (Gyllenhal, 1827), P. nigrita (Paykull, 1790), Platynus assimilis (Paykull, 1790), P. krynickii (Sperk, 1835), Bradycellus caucasicus (Chaudoir, 1846), Ophonus laticollis (Mannerheim, 1825), Harpalus latus (Linnaeus, 1758), H. progrediens (Schauberger, 1922), Badister bullatus (Schrank, 1798) were recorded only in the biocenosis with clogging with hogweed. The species richness and the value of the biodiversity index of the ground beetle assemblages of the meadow biocenosis with clogging with hogweed were higher than these parameters of the ground beetle assemblages of the meadow biocenosis without hogweed. In the conditions of invasive hogweed thickets stratobionts boreholes dominated in the ground beetle assemblages (relative abundance 28.57 %), the participation of eurytopic (6 species, 20.37 %) and forest species (7 species, 12.01 %) was high, with a decrease in the share of participation meadow species (3 species, 1.37 %). For the biocenosis littered with hogweed, a high proportion of mesophiles (19 species, 52.44 %) was observed, against the background of a low proportion of mesogyrophils (9 species, 37.69 %).

scholarly journals Grazing impacts on ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) abundance and diversity on a semi-natural grassland

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabor Pozsgai ◽  
Luis Quinzo-Ortega ◽  
Nick A. Littlewood
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Ground Beetle ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Ground Beetles ◽  
Grazing Impacts ◽  
Low Intensity ◽  
Natural Grasslands ◽  
The Status ◽  
Beetle Assemblages ◽  
Natural Grassland

AbstractSemi-natural grasslands are commonly managed as a grazing resource for domestic livestock but, due to their unique biodiversity, they are also of conservation interest. Numerous drivers have impacted on the status of these grasslands in recent decades, most importantly changing grazing management strategies. These changes have the potential to affect the biodiversity associated with these habitats, including on some rich invertebrate assemblages. Responses, however, are often dissimilar between different invertebrate taxa.We investigated the responses of ground beetles to different grazing regimes within a long-term grazing experiment on upland semi-natural grassland in Scotland. Although there was substantial overlap between ground beetle assemblages in different grazing treatments, species richness, mean abundance and Shannon diversity of ground beetles were significantly lower in ungrazed plots than in plots subject to high- or low-intensity sheep grazing. Ground beetle abundance (but not species richness or diversity) were lower in ungrazed plots compared to those with low-intensity mixed grazing by sheep and cattle. However, no differences were identified in abundance, species richness or diversity between the three grazed treatments.Our results suggest that ground beetles may show different responses to grazing compared to responses of some other invertebrate groups and demonstrates the difficulty of carrying out management for a multi-taxon benefit.

scholarly journals Ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) as useful tool indicating the quality of restoration practices in post-industrial areas

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renata Kędzior ◽  
Tomasz Skalski
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Ground Beetle ◽  
Ecosystem Restoration ◽  
Ground Beetles ◽  
Random Pattern ◽  
Breeding Cycle ◽  
Beetle Assemblages ◽  
Occurrence Pattern ◽  
Post Industrial

Environmental disturbances, being a consequence of human industrial activity, strongly influence the communities of plants and animals, causing impoverishment of species pool and reduction of the overall biodiversity. Restoration of stable ecological systems in such areas is difficult and depends on many factors, that influence the rate and effectivness of recolonization. The aim of the study was to compare the diversity and life history traits of ground beetle assemblages in recultivated and spontaneously regenerated postindustrial areas as well as reference forests. In addition the carabid co-occurrence pattern as a parameter evaluating the effectiveness of ecosystem restoration was studied. The following carabid life history traits were analysed: body size, dispersal power, food preferences, breeding type, and habitat preferences. During the field study 2036 specimens belonging to 36 Carabidae species were collected. NMDS analysis divided the ground beetle assemblages in relation to ecosystem types. ANOSIM showed significant differences in dissimilarity distances between assemblages from recultivated, spontaneously regenerated and reference areas. The analysis of the structure and life-history traits of ground beetle assemblages also showed significant differences. In recultivated dumps the rate of restoration was very slow and carabid assemblages structure and life history traits maintained the early successional character, revealing significantly higher abundance of herbivorous open-area species with medium body size, high dispersal power, and a spring breeding cycle. Moreover the co-occurrence pattern of ground beetle assemblages showed a random pattern of co-occurrence, as an effect of high extinction rate reflecting high disturbance level. In case of spontaneously regenerated dumps more effective restoration processes was observed. The co-occurrence pattern of ground beetles assemblages showed a non-random pattern (the mean simulated C-score value was significantly lower than the value generated for the empirical data). Such conditions were beneficial for more sensitive carabid species (mainly medium body-sized predators with low dispersal power and an autumn breeding cycle). We conclude that ground beetles could be an useful tool indicating the direction and effectiveness of ecosystem restoration in post-industrial areas. This study indicated that recultivation techniques without proper biological soil regeneration do not guarantee full restoration of ecosystems and provide conditions for species with wide ecological ranges.

scholarly journals What shapes ground beetle assemblages in a tree species-rich subtropical forest?

ZooKeys ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1044 ◽  
pp. 907-927
Author(s):  
Pascale Zumstein ◽  
Helge Bruelheide ◽  
Andreas Fichtner ◽  
Andreas Schuldt ◽  
Michael Staab ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Woody Plant ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Ph Value ◽  
Ground Beetle ◽  
Ground Beetles ◽  
Subtropical Forest ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Beetle Assemblages

As woody plants provide much of the trophic basis for food webs in forests their species richness, but also stand age and numerous further variables such as vegetation structure, soil properties and elevation can shape assemblages of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae). However, the combined impact of these numerous variables on ground beetle diversity and community structure has rarely been studied simultaneously. Therefore, ground beetles were studied in 27 plots in a highly diverse and structurally heterogeneous subtropical forest ecosystem, the Gutianshan National Park (southeast China) using pitfall traps and flight interception traps. Both trapping methods collected partly overlapping species spectra. The arboreal fauna was dominated by lebiines and to a smaller extent by tiger beetles and platynines; the epigeic fauna comprised mostly representatives of the genus Carabus and numerous tribes, especially anisodactylines, pterostichines, and sphodrines. Ground beetle species richness, abundance, and biomass of the pitfall trap catches were analyzed with generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs), fitted with seven environmental variables. Four of these variables influenced the ground beetle assemblages: Canopy cover, herb cover, pH-value of the topsoil and elevation. Contrary to our expectations, woody plant species richness and stand age did not significantly affect ground beetle assemblages. Thus, ground beetles seem to respond differently to environmental variables than ants and spiders, two other predominantly predatory arthropod groups that were studied on the same plots in our study area and which showed distinct relationships with woody plant richness. Our results highlight the need to study a wider range of taxa to achieve a better understanding of how environmental changes affect species assemblages and their functioning in forest ecosystems.

scholarly journals Ground beetles (Carabidae) of field margin habitats

Biologia ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (10) ◽  
pp. 1631-1641
Author(s):  
Janina Bennewicz ◽  
Tadeusz Barczak
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Status ◽  
Ground Beetle ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Ground Beetles ◽  
Field Margin ◽  
Poecilus Cupreus ◽  
The Status ◽  
Beetle Assemblages ◽  
Anchomenus Dorsalis ◽  
Pterostichus Melanarius

Abstract The aim of this study was to identify the role of field margin habitats in preserving the diversity and abundance of ground beetle assemblages, including potentially entomophagous species and those with conservation status in Poland. Research material was collected in 2006–2007 in four types of margin habitats – a forest, bushes, ditches and in two arable fields. Insects were captured into pitfalls, without preservation liquid or bait added to the traps. Traps were inspected twice a week, between May and August, and one sample was a weekly capture. In field margin habitats the most abundant species were Limodromus assimilis, Anchomenus dorsalis, Pterostichus melanarius and Carabus auratus. A lower abundance of species was noted on fields, with dominant Poecilus cupreus and P. melanarius. The group of zoophagous carabids found in our study includes 30 species from field margin habitats, i.e. 37.5% of all captured Carabidae taxa and 58.3% of all specimens. The share of aphidophagous species was 84.9% among bushes, 86.7% near ditches, and 88.0% in the forest habitat. Several species captured during the study are under protection in Poland. These include the partly protected Carabus convexus, which also has the status of near threatened species, the partly protected Calosoma auropunctatum, and Broscus cephalotes. Considering all the investigated field margin habitats, ground beetles were most numerous in the oak-hornbeam habitat, defined as bushes, formed predominantly by Prunus spinosa, Crataegus leavigata, Sambucus nigra and Rosa canina. Thus, this habitat was the most important reservoir/refugium for the ground beetles.

scholarly journals Long-term data reveal unimodal responses of ground beetle abundance to precipitation and land use but no changes in taxonomic and functional diversity

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Petr Zajicek ◽  
Ellen A. R. Welti ◽  
Nathan J. Baker ◽  
Kathrin Januschke ◽  
Oliver Brauner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Ground Beetle ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Ground Beetles ◽  
Community Change ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Activity Density

AbstractWhile much of global biodiversity is undoubtedly under threat, the responses of ecological communities to changing climate, land use intensification, and long-term changes in both taxonomic and functional diversity over time, has still not been fully explored for many taxonomic groups, especially invertebrates. We compiled time series of ground beetles covering the past two decades from 40 sites located in five regions across Germany. We calculated site-based trends for 21 community metrics representing taxonomic and functional diversity of ground beetles, activity density (a proxy for abundance), and activity densities of functional groups. We assessed both overall and regional temporal trends and the influence of the global change drivers of temperature, precipitation, and land use on ground beetle communities. While we did not detect overall temporal changes in ground beetle taxonomic and functional diversity, taxonomic turnover changed within two regions, illustrating that community change at the local scale does not always correspond to patterns at broader spatial scales. Additionally, ground beetle activity density had a unimodal response to both annual precipitation and land use. Limited temporal change in ground beetle communities may indicate a shifting baseline, where community degradation was reached prior to the start of our observation in 1999. In addition, nonlinear responses of animal communities to environmental change present a challenge when quantifying temporal trends.

Impact of habitat type and landscape structure on biomass, species richness and functional diversity of ground beetles

2010 ◽  
Vol 139 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 181-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.A. Woodcock ◽  
J. Redhead ◽  
A.J. Vanbergen ◽  
L. Hulmes ◽  
S. Hulmes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Landscape Structure ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Ground Beetles

Species Richness and Community Composition of Ants and Beetles in Bt and non-Bt Maize Fields

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 1095-1103
Author(s):  
Marcos Gino Fernandes ◽  
Eduardo Neves Costa ◽  
Carla Cristina Dutra ◽  
Josué Raizer
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Ground Beetle ◽  
Ground Beetles ◽  
Bt Maize ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Nontarget Organisms ◽  
Gm Plants ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Impact On Biodiversity

AbstractInsect-resistant genetically modified (GM) plants have been cultivated in several countries on a large scale. These plants express the Cry toxins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bacillales: Bacillaceae) (Bt), which confers target-pest resistance to plants. Studies on the effects of GM plants on nontarget organisms are important to assess the technology’s impact on biodiversity. The objective of this study was to determine whether there are differences in the species richness and composition of ants and ground beetles in Bt maize (four different toxins: Cry1Ab, Cry1F, and Cry1A.105/Cry2Ab2) and conventional isoline (non-Bt) fields, in the first (summer) and second (winter) cropping seasons in 13 localities of Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil, over a 2-yr period (2009–2011). The assessment of Coleoptera and Formicidae species was performed using pitfall traps placed in fields throughout the period of vegetative growth and maturation of plants. Data were analyzed using faunistic indices of species richness, ordination by nonmetric multidimensional scaling, and multivariate analysis of variance. No statistically significant difference was found in the species richness of ant and ground beetle communities when comparing sites of Bt with those of non-Bt maize. Overall, Bt technology did not affect the composition of ant and ground beetles; however, municipality and cropping season exerted influence on the beetle composition. Some species were only observed in the first crop, whereas others were only observed in the second crop. This research suggests that Bt maize does not affect ant and ground beetle populations differently from its isoline.

scholarly journals Monoculture and mixture-planting of non-native Douglas fir alters species composition, but promotes the diversity of ground beetles in a temperate forest system

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 1479-1499
Author(s):  
Peter Kriegel ◽  
Dragan Matevski ◽  
Andreas Schuldt
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Ground Beetle ◽  
Ground Beetles ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Assemblage Structure ◽  
Species Identity ◽  
Native Tree ◽  
Native Tree Species

AbstractPlanting non-native tree species, like Douglas fir in temperate European forest systems, is encouraged to mitigate effects of climate change. However, Douglas fir monocultures often revealed negative effects on forest biota, while effects of mixtures with native tree species on forest ecosystems are less well understood. We investigated effects of three tree species (Douglas fir, Norway spruce, native European beech), on ground beetles in temperate forests of Germany. Beetles were sampled in monocultures of each tree species and broadleaf-conifer mixtures with pitfall traps, and environmental variables were assessed around each trap. We used linear mixed models in a two-step procedure to disentangle effects of environment and tree species identity on ground beetle abundance, species richness, functional diversity and species assemblage structure. Contradictory to our expectations, ground beetle abundance and functional diversity was highest in pure Douglas fir stands, while tree mixtures showed intermediate values between pure coniferous and pure beech stands. The main drivers of these patterns were only partially dependent on tree species identity, which highlights the importance of structural features in forest stands. However, our study revealed distinct shifts in assemblage structure between pure beech and pure Douglas fir stands, which were only partially eased through mixture planting. Our findings suggest that effects of planting non-native trees on associated biodiversity can be actively modified by promoting beneficial forest structures. Nevertheless, integrating non-native tree species, even in mixtures with native trees, will invariably alter assemblage structures of associated biota, which can compromise conservation efforts targeted at typical species composition.

scholarly journals A comparison of ground beetle assemblages (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in conventionally and ecologically managed alfalfa fields

2014 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 102 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Kolařík ◽  
J. Rotrekl ◽  
M. Barták ◽  
A. Krupauerová ◽  
J. Frydrych
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Ground Beetle ◽  
Experimental Period ◽  
Ground Beetles ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Alfalfa Field ◽  
Beetle Assemblages ◽  
Emergence Traps ◽  
South Moravia

From 2007-2011, the occurrence of ground beetles (<em>Coleoptera</em>: <em>Carabidae</em>) was studied using emergence traps in two differently managed alfalfa fields in the Czech Republic - a conventional and an ecological production system. In total, 784 specimens of ground beetles representing 58 species were trapped in these two alfalfa fields in South Moravia. A slightly higher number of specimens were trapped in the conventionally managed than in the ecological alfalfa stand (404 <em>vs</em> 380, respectively). In the conventionally managed alfalfa stand, the number of species was also higher than in the ecological stand (45 <em>vs</em> 40, respectively). With the exception of 2007 and 2009, Simpson’s indices of diversity were higher in the conventional stand than in the ecological in all study years. Shannon’s index was higher in the conventional alfalfa field in 2008, 2009, and 2011. Regarding distribution, species classified into group E (<em>i.e.</em>, those without special demands on the type and quality of their habitat) dominated in both types of management throughout the experimental period. The incidence of species classified into group R (<em>i.e</em>., those with narrow ecological amplitude) was very low;<em> i.e</em>., only four species. These ground beetle species are included in the Red List of Threatened Species of the Czech Republic, and all of them (<em>i.e</em>. <em>Acupalpus</em> <em>suturalis</em>, <em>Calosoma</em> <em>auropunctatum</em>, <em>Cicindela</em> <em>germanica</em> and <em>Ophonus</em> <em>cribricollis</em>) are listed as vulnerable.

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