Restricted dispersal in a flying beetle assessed by telemetry |
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Authors: | Jonas Hedin Thomas Ranius Sven G Nilsson Henrik G Smith |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Ecology, Animal Ecology, Lund University, Ecology Building, 223 62 Lund, Sweden;(2) Present address: County Administrative Board of Kronoberg, 351 86 Vaxjo, Sweden;(3) Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7044, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden |
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Abstract: | Many insects living in ancient trees are assumed to be threatened as a result of habitat loss and fragmentation. It is generally
expected that species in habitats with low temporal variability in carrying capacity have lower degree of dispersal in comparison
to those in more ephemeral habitats. As hollow trees are long-lived, species in that habitat are expected to be sensitive
to habitat fragmentation, due to a low capacity to establish new populations far from present ones. Using radio telemetry,
we studied the dispersal for a beetle, Osmoderma eremita, living in hollow trees. O. eremita exhibited philopatry and only dispersed over short ranges. About 82–88% of the adults remained in the tree where they were
caught. All observed dispersal movements ended up in nearby hollow trees and 62% in the neighbouring hollow tree. These results
corroborate the suggestion that habitat fragmentation may be detrimental to insects living in temporally stable but spatially
variable habitats. In order to preserve such species, we propose that conservation efforts should be focused on maintaining
or increasing the number of suitable trees in and near presently occupied stands. |
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Keywords: | Dispersal distance Dispersal rate Osmoderma eremita Radio transmitters Sedentary Tree hollow |
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