Relevance of using a vegetation-based method to conserve urban carabid diversity |
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Authors: | Samuel Pinna Hirondelle Varady-Szabo Patrick Boivin Eric Lucas |
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Institution: | (1) Groupe de recherche en écologie comportementale et animale, Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP 8888, succ. Centre-ville, Montreal, QC, Canada, H3C 3P8;(2) Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21 111 Lakeshore Road, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, QC, Canada, H9X 3V9;(3) Institut de recherche en biologie végétale, 4101 Sherbrooke Est, Montreal, QC, Canada, H1X 2B2 |
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Abstract: | Urban habitats harbour considerable biological diversity. Ecologists have developed methods to select which habitats should
be conserved. The Ecological value, a method based on vegetation, has been created for the urban habitats of Montreal (Quebec, Canada). The main objective of
our study was to determine if this method was relevant to assess carabid diversity of Mount Royal Park. This index is calculated
using five criteria: uniqueness, representativeness, degree of succession, richness and rarity of the flora, each of which
can influence communities of insects. Ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) were selected because of their success as biological
indicators. Despite sampling difficulties, our results demonstrate clearly that the Ecological value method does not represent the high carabid richness of urban open habitats (tall grasses) and their specialised native carabid
species. Within forests we found nonetheless that the ecological value index has a significant positive relationship with
native carabid abundance. Moreover, maturity and structure of urban forests were positively correlated with carabid abundance
and richness. Some urban vegetation characteristics have been shown to influence entomological diversity, but the relevance
of using a global floral index to encompass the carabid community seems limited. |
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Keywords: | Urban tall grasses Urban forests Floral index Ecological value Native carabids |
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