Effects of different tree harvesting intensities on saproxylic beetle diversity in coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest in the Changbai Mountain,Northeast, China

1. Saproxylic beetles have gained increasing attention due to their role in the decomposition of rotting wood in forests. Studying the response of saproxylic beetles to tree harvesting is important for developing harvesting strategies that consider conservation of saproxylic beetle diversity.
2. We report results from a case study in which we designed four treatment stands to test the effects of forest harvesting intensity on saproxylic beetle diversity, harvest intensities of 0% untreated control (CK), 17.2% light harvest (LT), 34.7% moderate harvest (MT) and 51.9% high harvest (HT). Flight intercept traps were used to collect specimens of saproxylic beetles in each stand at 2, 3 and 4 years post-harvest.
3. The richness and abundance of saproxylic beetles were higher in MT and HT than in CK. Twelve of the 15 indicator species were significantly associated with MT or HT, whereas only three species were significantly associated with CK.
4. We found that moderate and high intensity harvesting affected the composition and increased beetle abundance and richness of saproxylic beetles, and light intensity harvesting had no effect on the beetle community in years 2, 3 and 4 post-harvest. There was no difference in the beetle community composition between moderate and high harvest stands.

     

In search of the best local habitat drivers for saproxylic beetle diversity in temperate deciduous forests

Deadwood-associated species are increasingly targeted in forest biodiversity conservation. In order to improve structural biodiversity indicators and sustainable management guidelines, we need to elucidate ecological and anthropogenic drivers of saproxylic diversity. Herein we aim to disentangle the effects of local habitat attributes which presumably drive saproxylic beetle communities in temperate lowland deciduous forests. We collected data on saproxylic beetles in 104 oak and 49 beech stands in seven French lowland forests and used deadwood, microhabitat and stand features (large trees, openness) as predictor variables to describe local forest conditions. Deadwood diversity and stand openness were consistent key habitat features for species richness and composition in deciduous forests. Large downed deadwood volume was a significant predictor of beetle species richness in oak forests only. In addition, the density of cavity- and fungus-bearing trees had weak but significant effects. We recommend that forest managers favor the local diversification of deadwood types, especially the number of combinations of deadwood positions and tree species, the retention of large downed deadwood and microhabitat-bearing trees in order to maximize the saproxylic beetle diversity at the stand scale in deciduous forests. To improve our understanding of deadwood-biodiversity relationships, further research should be based on targeted surveys on species-microhabitat relationships and should investigate the role of landscape-scale deadwood resources and of historical gaps in continuity of key features availability at the local scale.     

Influence of macroclimate and local conservation measures on taxonomic,functional, and phylogenetic diversities of saproxylic beetles and wood-inhabiting fungi

Wood-inhabiting fungi and saproxylic beetles are threatened by habitat degradation. Our understanding of the importance of macroclimate and local factors determining their taxonomic diversity has increased, but determinants of functional and phylogenetic diversity are poorly understood. We investigated assemblages of wood-inhabiting fungi and saproxylic beetles along a 1000 m elevational gradient of a temperate low mountain range. We (i) tested the relative importance of macroclimate (i.e. elevation) and local variables (microclimate, i.e. canopy closure, amount and diversity of dead wood) in determining observed and rarefied diversities and (ii) explored whether determinants of observed functional and phylogenetic diversities match those of taxonomic diversity. For both taxa, the determinants of observed phylogenetic and functional diversities largely matched those of taxonomic diversity. The diversity of wood-inhabiting fungi was predominantly determined by local variables, whereas that of saproxylic beetles was determined by both local variables and elevation. Taxonomic and phylogenetic diversities of saproxylic beetles decreased with increasing elevation, but standardized functional richness and entropy of both groups increased with increasing elevation. Diversities of wood-inhabiting fungi increased with canopy closure, while diversities of saproxylic beetles decreased with increasing canopy closure. Microclimate and dead-wood amount and diversity affected the observed and rarefied diversity of both saproxylic taxa, which justifies conservation actions that focus on attributes of dead wood and canopy cover. The contrasting responses of fungi and beetles highlight the need for amounts of diverse dead wood in the various microclimates to preserve functional and phylogenetic diversities of saproxylic organisms.     

Spatial and temporal variation in host–parasitoid interactions: leafcutter ant hosts and their phorid parasitoids

1. Parasitoid–host interactions are important components of ecological communities. Although parasitoid–host interactions are strongly shaped by evolutionary history, the abundance of both the parasitoid and the host may have a role in determining the nature of the interaction once phylogenetic relationships are considered. 2. Leafcutter ants are hosts of phorid parasitoids and represent a well‐defined and specialised module within a larger network of ant–symbiont interactions. A low specificity host taxa and a positive association between host abundance and parasitoid interaction frequency were expected due to the close phylogenetic relatedness of the hosts. 3. The interactions among all species of leafcutter ants and their parasitoids were quantified in two localities with different species richness. This study also characterised the spatial‐temporal variability of these interactions, determined the patterns of parasitoid specificity and host selection, and tested for an association between host abundance and parasitoid interaction frequency. 4. Contrary to expectation, most parasitoid species were highly specialised and interaction frequency for parasitoid species was not related to host abundance. All host ant species were attacked by more than one phorid species. Some phorid species used more than one host species and showed preference for the same species over space and time, suggesting that there are physiological and/or behavioural restrictions on host use. 5. These results show that there is a tendency for specialisation even when hosts are highly similar in their ecology. From a biological control perspective, these parasitoids may be effective candidates, due to the high specificity of some species and little host‐use variation through time.     

浙江天目山种植林管理历史及粗死木残体特征影响柳杉腐木甲虫多样性（英文）

不合理的森林管理是导致腐木甲虫多样性丧失的重要原因。在中国亚热带地区, 多样性较高的天然林已被大面积的人工种植林取代, 然而, 这些人工林对腐木甲虫多样性的影响还研究甚少。本研究对浙江天目山自然保护区人工幼龄林（30~40年）、 人工老熟林（80~100年）和半天然混合林（>200年）中柳杉枯立木上的腐木甲虫群落及多样性进行比较。结果表明： 半天然混合林腐木甲虫个体数量（97.4±66.7）显著高于幼龄林（39.9±16.3）和老熟林（21.9±5.9）, 但半天然林混合林(27.9±11.2)与幼龄林(24.1±3.7)腐木甲虫物种数差异并不显著(P>0.05), 而幼龄林的腐木甲虫物种数和个体数量则显著高于老熟林(P<0.05)。腐木甲虫物种数和个体数量与样地粗死木残体体积相关性显著(P<0.05)。典范对应分析和多响应置换过程分析表明腐木甲虫群落特征在不同林型间差异显著(P<0.001)。柳杉枯立木直径、 粗死木残体的直径和数量以及林冠盖度均对腐木甲虫物种组成具有显著影响(P<0.05)。腐木甲虫营养级组成分析也表明, 半天然混合林菌食性甲虫数量显著高于种植林(P<0.001)。结果提示, 提高种植林粗死木残体的数量和质量可以增加腐木甲虫的物种丰富度, 但种植林腐木甲虫多样性可能在随后的演替阶段有所下降, 而且种植林与天然林在腐木甲虫群落组成上差异十分明显。     

Spatial variability of hosts,parasitoids and their interactions across a homogeneous landscape

Species assemblages and their interactions vary through space, generating diversity patterns at different spatial scales. Here, we study the local‐scale spatial variation of a cavity‐nesting bee and wasp community (hosts), their nest associates (parasitoids), and the resulting antagonistic network over a continuous and homogeneous habitat. To obtain bee/wasp nests, we placed trap‐nests at 25 sites over a 32 km² area. We obtained 1,541 nests (4,954 cells) belonging to 40 host species and containing 27 parasitoid species. The most abundant host species tended to have higher parasitism rate. Community composition dissimilarity was relatively high for both hosts and parasitoids, and the main component of this variability was species turnover, with a very minor contribution of ordered species loss (nestedness). That is, local species richness tended to be similar across the study area and community composition tended to differ between sites. Interestingly, the spatial matching between host and parasitoid composition was low. Host β‐diversity was weakly (positively) but significantly related to geographic distance. On the other hand, parasitoid and host‐parasitoid interaction β‐diversities were not significantly related to geographic distance. Interaction β‐diversity was even higher than host and parasitoid β‐diversity, and mostly due to species turnover. Interaction rewiring between plots and between local webs and the regional metaweb was very low. In sum, species composition was rather idiosyncratic to each site causing a relevant mismatch between hosts and parasitoid composition. However, pairs of host and parasitoid species tended to interact similarly wherever they co‐occurred. Our results additionally show that interaction β‐diversity is better explained by parasitoid than by host β‐diversity. We discuss the importance of identifying the sources of variation to understand the drivers of the observed heterogeneity.     

Landscape diversity of pasture dung beetle communities in the central region of mainland Japan and implications for conservation management

We studied the diversity of dung beetle communities in Japanese pastures to identify the factors that maintain or enhance the diversity of dung beetles at a landscape scale. We surveyed dung beetles from 17 pastures located in the northeastern part of Tochigi Prefecture, which is in the center of mainland Japan. From 1999 to 2001, surveys were conducted during the 6-month grazing period (May to October) by using dung baited basket traps. We also collected information about the environmental conditions and pasture management practices. Twenty-five dung beetle species belonging to Geotrupinae, Scarabaeinae, and Aphodiinae (including 13 tunneler and 12 dweller species) were recorded. The abundance of dweller species decreased with increasing elevation, possibly because of the effect of rainfall, whereas the species richness of tunneler species was affected by cattle disturbance and soil condition. Beetle species richness significantly increased with the number of years that the pastures had been grazed. Ivermectin administration did not appear to have any adverse effect on dung beetle abundance, species richness, or species diversity. The dung beetle datasets of the current study (including specific tunneler and dweller beetle groups) supported the widely documented positive relationship between local abundance and species distribution ranges. The within pasture, within area, and between area hierarchical additive partitioning of regional total diversity indicated that landscape-scale management should be implemented to conserve the regional diversity of the dung beetle communities inhabiting Japanese pastures.     

Host abundance,durability, basidiome form and phylogenetic isolation determine fungivore species richness

Species with close associations to a specific host species, such as parasites and phytophages, make immense contributions to biodiversity. Hence, factors determining the variation in species richness among hosts are a main focus of ecological research. Investigations of determining factors of fungivorous species among host species are still scarce. Based on ecological patterns of parasites and phytophages, we hypothesized that the species richness of tree‐fungus beetles of the family Ciidae (Coleoptera) would increase with increasing basidiome size, niche diversity of the growth form, durability, increasing abundance and decreasing phylogenetic isolation of the host fungus. Our generalized least‐squares model, controlled by host phylogeny, revealed that Ciidae species richness increases with host abundance, but decreases with host phylogenetic isolation. In contrast with our prediction, Ciidae species richness was higher in annual basidiomes than in perennials. Pileate basidiomes revealed higher species richness than resupinate and stipitate basidiomes, which may be interpreted as being a result of their higher host niche diversity. The importance of host abundance, measured on the landscape scale, corroborates that fungivore species richness among macrofungal hosts is determined by factors similar to those that determine parasite and phytophage species richness among their hosts. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2015, 114 , 699–708.     

Host diversity and environmental variables as determinants of the species richness of the parasitoids of leaf‐cutting ants

Aim Because of the obligatory relationship between endoparasitoids and their hosts, we presume that hosts exert strong selection pressure on parasitoids. One prediction is a positive relationship between host diversity and parasitoid richness. This relationship could be the product of resource availability which could lead to more opportunities for speciation, or could represent shared responses to the environment by both groups. Location Argentina and Paraguay. Methods We sampled a 1800‐km transect to test for a correlation between the richness of leaf‐cutting ant hosts and their phorid parasitoids. Regression models were used to assess if host and environmental variables could explain phorid species richness at nest, hectare and locality spatial scales. We used canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) to explore if there were similar responses of phorid species to particular host and environmental variables at different spatial scales, and partial CCA to separate the relative importance of both groups of variables. Results Phorid richness was positively correlated with host richness. Host richness/abundance accounted for 20–53% of the variation in parasitoid richness at the hectare and locality scales of analysis, with most of the variation accounted for by ant abundance. We were not able to assess the prediction at the nest scale as only one phorid species was found at most nests. Climatic variables did not explain phorid species richness once host variables were in the models. Partial CCA showed that host‐related variables accounted for most of the variance associated with phorid species ordination at the nest and hectare scales, but not at the largest grain, the locality, where climatic variables were more important. However, most phorid species did not show particular positions along the climatic gradient. Main conclusions The association between parasitoid richness and host richness and abundance, and the overall weak associations with environmental variables, suggest that these host variables are key factors influencing parasitoid speciation.     

The saproxylic beetle assemblage associated with different host trees in Southwest China

Dead wood is a habitat for many insects and other small animals, some of which may be rare or endangered and in need of effective protection. In this paper, saproxylic beetle assemblages associated with different host trees in the subtropical forests in southwestern China were investigated. A total of 277 species (1 439 specimens) in 36 beetle families were collected from 117 dead wood samples, of which 101 samples were identified and respectively belonged to 12 tree genera. The number of saproxylic beetle species varied greatly among logs of different tree genera, with the highest diversity on logs of Juglans. Generally, broad‐leaved trees had a higher richness and abundance of saproxylic species than coniferous trees. Cluster analysis revealed that assemblages from broad‐leaved tree genera were generally similar (except for Betula) and assemblages from coniferous trees formed another distinct cluster. The subsequent indicator analysis proposed that there are different characteristic species for different cluster groups of host tree genera. In our study, log diameter has no positive influence on beetle species density. Conversely, comparisons of individual‐based rarefaction curves suggested that beetle species richness was highest in the small diameter class both in coniferous and broad‐leaved tree genera. With increased wood decay, proportion of habitat specialists (saproxylic beetles living on one tree genus) decreased, whereas proportion of habitat generalists (living on more than three tree genera) increased. The beetle species density was found to be higher in early stages, and decreased in later stages as well. A negative influence of altitude on saproxylic beetle species richness and abundance was detected. It was indicated that different tree genera and altitudes possibly display cross effects in modulating the altitudinal distribution and host preference of the beetles.     

More species,but all do the same: contrasting effects of flood disturbance on ground beetle functional and species diversity

The role of habitat disturbance on biodiversity is central as it promotes changes in ecological systems. That said, still little is known about the functional consequences of such changes. Functional diversity can be used to revealing more mechanistically the disturbance effects on communities by considering the richness and the distribution of traits among the species. Here we analyzed the response of functional and species diversity of ground beetles to flood disturbance to better understand the functioning of alluvial invertebrate communities. Ground beetles were sampled in periodically flooded grasslands along the Elbe River in Germany. We used generalized linear mixed effects models to unveil the relationships between flood disturbance, species and functional diversity, respectively. We measured different components of functional diversity (functional richness, evenness, dispersion, and divergence) and analyzed species diversity by means of rarefied species richness, abundances, evenness and Simpson's diversity. We found contrasting relationships in that most species diversity measures peaked at highest disturbance levels, while most functional diversity measures decreased with increasing disturbance intensities. Inversed relationships between species and functional diversity are rarely observed, as most studies report on positive correlations. We explain increasing species diversity with a higher amount of resources available in highly disturbed sites. Decreasing functional diversity is best explained through the convergence of species traits by flood disturbance and uneven resource exploitation in highly disturbed plots (low functional evenness), suggesting strong impacts from functionally different generalist species in floodchannels. We show that the amount of resources available, and how these resources are exploited, play major roles in the functioning of floodplain ground beetle communities.     

Inter‐assemblage facilitation: the functional diversity of cavity‐producing beetles drives the size diversity of cavity‐nesting bees

Inter‐specific interactions are important drivers and maintainers of biodiversity. Compared to trophic and competitive interactions, the role of non‐trophic facilitation among species has received less attention. Cavity‐nesting bees nest in old beetle borings in dead wood, with restricted diameters corresponding to the body size of the bee species. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the functional diversity of cavity‐producing wood boring beetles ‐ in terms of cavity diameters ‐ drives the size diversity of cavity‐nesting bees. The invertebrate communities were sampled in 30 sites, located in forested landscapes along an elevational gradient. We regressed the species richness and abundance of cavity nesting bees against the species richness and abundance of wood boring beetles, non‐wood boring beetles and elevation. The proportion of cavity nesting bees in bee species assemblage was regressed against the species richness and abundance of wood boring beetles. We also tested the relationships between the size diversity of cavity nesting bees and wood boring beetles. The species richness and abundance of cavity nesting bees increased with the species richness and abundance of wood boring beetles. No such relationship was found for non‐wood boring beetles. The abundance of wood boring beetles was also related to an increased proportion of cavity nesting bee individuals. Moreover, the size diversity of cavity‐nesting bees increased with the functional diversity of wood boring beetles. Specifically, the mean and dispersion of bee body sizes increased with the functional dispersion of large wood boring beetles. The positive relationships between cavity producing bees and cavity nesting bees suggest that non‐trophic facilitative interactions between species assemblages play important roles in organizing bee species assemblages. Considering a community‐wide approach may therefore be required if we are to successfully understand and conserve wild bee species assemblages in forested landscapes.     

Different effects of coarse woody material on the species diversity of three saproxylic beetle families (Cerambycidae, Melandryidae, and Curculionidae)

The relationships between coarse woody material (CWM) and the diversity of three saproxylic beetle families (Cerambycidae, Melandryidae, and Curculionidae) were investigated. These three families responded differently toward the quality and quantity of CWM. The species richness of cerambycid beetles increased in forests with more CWM in the early stage of decomposition. The richness of saproxylic curculionids increased in stands with more tree species. No clear trend was evident for melandryid diversity. The CWM differed in quality and quantity among three forest types [middle-aged larch (Larix kaempferi [Lamb.] Carrière) plantation, secondary forest, and old-growth forest] and between two forest-management practices (thinning and long rotation). Forest type and management practices affected CWM and the number of tree species, and CWM and the number of tree species influenced the diversity of saproxylic families differently. Because each decomposition stage is considered to be important for saproxylic beetles at the species level, a constant supply of CWM is necessary to maintain a suitable balance of CWM through these decomposition stages in forests to maintain the diversity of saproxylic beetles.     

Species richness and regional distribution of myrmecophilous beetles

Four major hypotheses have been put forward to explain local species richness of commensal or parasitic species. The resource distribution hypothesis predicts that regionally widespread host species are able to support higher local species richness of commensals or parasites. On the other hand, the resource size hypothesis predicts that larger hosts can support more species than smaller hosts, and comparably, the resource abundance hypothesis predicts that hosts that offer more resources are able to support more species. Finally, the resource concentration hypothesis predicts that hosts that occur in high-density patches support higher species richness. In this study, we tested the first three of the above hypotheses with myrmecophilous beetles and their host ants. In addition to species richness of myrmecophilous beetles, we also applied the above hypotheses to explain the distribution of the beetles. Our data are exclusively based on an extensive literature survey. Myrmecophilous beetles live in naturally fragmented environments composed of host ant colonies and they are exclusively dependent on ants. We found that the distribution of the host ants and the colony size of the host ants had a positive effect on both the species richness and the distribution of myrmecophilous beetles. In the same way, we found that myrmecophilous beetle species that are generalists, i.e. have more than one host ant species, and thus have more abundant resources, were more widely distributed than specialist species. Thus, we found support for the hypothesis that resource distribution, resource size and resource abundance have an effect on species richness and on the distribution of species.     

Mimicking natural disturbances of boreal forests: the effects of controlled burning and creating dead wood on beetle diversity

The young successional stages of boreal forests are an important habitat for many saproxylic species. These habitats are formed by disturbances such as forest fires and they are characterized by large volumes of dead wood and sun-exposed conditions. Today, young successional stages of natural origin are very rare in Fennoscandia and there is need for restoration. We constructed a large-scale field experiment in which we studied the effects of two restoration practices on beetle diversity: controlled burning and partial harvesting with creating different volumes of dead wood. We sampled beetles with flight-intercept traps recording a total of 56,031 individuals and 755 species. The species richness and abundance of both saproxylic and non-saproxylic beetles were increased by burning and harvesting but the volume of dead wood created on harvested sites had no short-term effect on species richness or abundance. Rare species, especially saproxylic ones, preferred burned sites and a similar trend was observed among red-listed and pyrophilous species. Burning and harvesting also resulted in different species assemblages and there were some additional differences according to the volume of dead wood. We conclude that fire can be successfully used in restoration of managed boreal forests to increase species diversity and to facilitate the recovery of declined species. However, long-term monitoring is needed to clarify the effects of the restoration practices, in particular those of creating dead wood without using fire.     

Habitat determinants of the taxonomic and functional diversity of parasitoid wasps

Parasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera) are a highly diverse component of terrestrial habitats, yet very little is known about how their community structure and functional diversity is influenced by habitat variables. Parasitoids were sampled using Malaise traps in early and late summer across ten forest sites in the Waitakere Ranges, New Zealand. At each trap, a range of local habitat variables were measured in a 20 × 20 m plot and landscape cover data were obtained for a 2-km radius. Species from two families, Ichneumonidae and Braconidae, were identified using morphological and molecular methods. Functional groups (idiobiosis, koinobiosis), key life history traits (endoparasitism, ectoparasitism, host taxa), and morphological traits (ovipositor length, body size) were measured to calculate functional diversity indices. The abundance, species richness, composition, and functional groups of parasitoids were chiefly influenced by vegetation type, plant diversity, coarse woody debris, and seasonal sampling. However, different taxa showed different patterns to habitat variables. Functional diversity measures were strongly linked to vegetation type. Kauri conifer forest was found to support a specialised parasitoid community, with lower abundance and species richness than broadleaved forest, but with higher functional evenness and high functional dispersion; indicating a community of co-existing species with a high utilisation of resources. The lack of congruence in the habitat relationships of different parasitoid groups highlights that preservation of a wide range of different forest habitats is required to adequately conserve parasitoid diversity.     

Sesto Contributo Alla Conoscenza Dell' “ Artemisia Verlotorum „ Lamotte (Con 4 Figg. Nel Testo)

Abstract

This study compared the richness of saproxylic beetle species and the composition of species assemblages between the major forests types of the south‐east of France. The forests differed by their geographical position and their composition in tree species. The results confirmed the existence of a clear local identity of the saproxylic beetles communities. This identity combined three geographical and ecological factors: the geographical position, the altitude and the dominant species of trees. Surprisingly, the period length since the last important perturbation of the stand was not a determinant factor to explain the composition of the saproxylic communities. Selective logging and deadwood retention favoured the increase of the diversity of saproxylic species. This diversity reached a maximum during the first 10 years following the perturbation, was the lowest 30 years after the stand perturbation, but increased again after 50 years with a different species composition.     

Coevolution drives temporal changes in fitness and diversity across environments in a bacteria-bacteriophage interaction.

Coevolutionary interactions are thought to play a crucial role in diversification of hosts and parasitoids. Furthermore, resource availability has been shown to be a fundamental driver of species diversity. Yet, we still do not have a clear understanding of how resource availability mediates the diversity generated by coevolution between hosts and parasitoids over time. We used experiments with bacteria and bacteriophage to test how resources affect variation in the competitive ability of resistant hosts and temporal patterns of diversity in the host and parasitoid as a result of antagonistic coevolution. Bacteria and bacteriophage coevolved for over 150 bacterial generations under high and low-resource conditions. We measured relative competitive ability of the resistant hosts and phenotypic diversity of hosts and parasitoids after the initial invasion of resistant mutants and again at the end of the experiment. Variation in relative competitive ability of the hosts was both time- and environment-dependent. The diversity of resistant hosts, and the abundance of host-range mutants attacking these phenotypes, differed among environments and changed over time, but the direction of these changes differed between the host and parasitoid. Our results demonstrate that patterns of fitness and diversity resulting from coevolutionary interactions can be highly dynamic.     

Saproxylic beetle diversity in a managed boreal forest: importance of stand characteristics and forestry conservation measures

Saproxylic beetles constitute a significant proportion of boreal forest biodiversity. However, the long history of timber production in Fennoscandia has significantly reduced the availability of dead wood and is considered a threat to the conservation of saproxylic beetle assemblages. Therefore, since the mid‐1990s dead wood retention in harvested stands has formed an integral part of silvicultural practices. However, the contribution of this biodiversity‐orientated management approach to conserving saproxylic beetle assemblages in boreal forest landscapes that include production forestry remains largely untested. We examined differences in resident saproxylic beetle assemblages among stands under different management in a boreal forest landscape in Central Sweden, and in particular stands managed according to new conservation‐orientated practices. We also investigated the relationship between beetle diversity and forest stand characteristics. Bark of coarse woody debris (CWD) was sieved for beetles in old managed stands, unmanaged nature reserves, and set‐aside areas, and clear‐cut stands harvested according to certification guidelines [new forestry (NF) clear‐cuts]. All stand types contributed significantly to the total diversity of beetles found. While stand size, position, and distance to nearest reserve were unimportant, both the quality and the quantity of CWD in stands contributed significantly to explaining beetle abundance and species richness. This extends the previous findings for red‐listed invertebrates, and shows that heterogeneous substrate quality and a range of management practices are necessary to maintain saproxylic beetle diversity in boreal forest landscapes that include production forestry. The unique abiotic conditions in combination with the abundant and varied CWD associated with NF clear‐cuts form an important component of forest stand heterogeneity for saproxylic beetles. It is thus essential that sufficient, diverse, CWD is retained in managed boreal landscapes to ensure the conservation of boreal saproxylic beetle assemblages.     

Tree diversity promotes predatory wasps and parasitoids but not pollinator bees in a subtropical experimental forest

From regional to global scales, anthropogenic environmental change is causing biodiversity loss and reducing ecosystem functionality. Previous studies have investigated the relationship between plant diversity and functional insect communities in temperate and also in tropical grasslands and forests. However, few studies have explored these dynamics in subtropical forests. Here, cavity-nesting Hymenoptera and associated parasitoids were collected across a controlled tree diversity experiment in subtropical China to test how predatory wasps, bees and parasitoids respond to tree species richness. Abundance and species richness of predatory wasps and parasitoids were positively correlated with tree species richness, while bee abundance and bee species richness were unrelated to tree species richness. Our results indicate that tree species richness increases the abundance and species richness of important communities such as predators and parasitoids. Moreover, the results highlight the importance of subtropical forests in maintaining abundance and species richness of key functional insect groups.