Changes in the ecological diversity of the forest population of ground beetles (Coleoptera,Carabidae) after deforestation and during the initial period of reforestation

The ecological structure of ground beetles was studied. Its dynamics during the migration of ground beetles from one habitat to another as a result of severe ecological disturbances caused by tree felling and subsequent reforestation was considered. Some regularities in the formation and development of a ground beetle community in the early stage of secondary succession at the felling site were determined. Further trends were revealed using the simplest indices of diversity, species, abundance, distribution, and dominance of species. The species richness of ground beetles at the site one year after felling increased from 28 to 41 species. It decreased to 36 species in four years. According to the ecological preference, the basis of the complex of ground beetles at the forest site before felling was formed by spring-breeding species. Four years after felling, the proportion of forest species decreased (from 73.4 to 65.7%) and the significance of forestmarsh and meadow-field species increased. The proportion of summer- and autumn-breeding species also increased. The species and quantitative composition of ground beetles at the site during the first year after felling was mostly determined by neighboring forests. As reforestation proceeded, a separate biocenosis developed at the felling site and the influence of the forests became lower. The proportion of summer- and autumnbreeding species increased. The species and quantitative composition of ground beetles at the felling site was mostly determined by the neighboring forest during the first year. A separate biocenosis developed at the felling site in the following years, and the influence exercised by the forest diminished.     

Hollow oaks and beetle conservation: the significance of the surroundings

In this study we investigated hollow oaks (Quercus robur, Q. petrea) situated in open landscapes and in forests in Norway in northern Europe, and compared their importance for rare and threatened beetles (Coleoptera). Old, hollow oak trees, both in parks and in forests, were extremely rich in red-listed beetles, and hosted a high proportion of threatened species. The proportion of oak associated species and the mean number of red-listed beetle species per tree was similar in the two site types, but rarefaction showed that for a certain number of individuals, oaks in forests had more threatened and near-threatened species than oaks in parks. The species composition also differed between site types: Park oaks had a higher proportion of species associated with hollows and animal nests, whereas in forests, there was a higher proportion of species depending on dead oak wood in general. Four factors were significant in explaining the richness of red-listed beetles in our study: Tree circumference, cavity decay stage, proportion of oak in the surroundings, and coarse woody debris (CWD) in the surroundings. Forest oaks were smaller, but they still trapped a species richness comparable to that of the larger park oaks—probably a result of high amounts of CWD in the surroundings. We show that oaks in open landscapes and oaks in forest have only partly overlapping beetle assemblages and, thus, cannot be substituted in conservation. Planning for conservation of red-listed beetles associated with this key habitat demands a large scale perspective, both in space and time, as the surroundings have important effects on associated threatened and near threatened species.     

Forest–farm edge effects on communities of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) under different landscape structures

In fragmented landscapes, ecological processes may be significantly influenced by edge effects, but few data are available for edge effects across forest–farmland edges. We investigated patterns of species richness, abundance, and species composition in ground beetles across forest–farm edges in two different agro-forest landscapes in Korea. Nine and five sites were selected from Hwaseong, a fragmented landscape, in 2011 and 2012, respectively, while eight sites were selected from Hoengseong, a relatively well-protected landscape, in 2012. Ground beetles were collected by pitfall trapping. Species richness was higher in the surrounding habitat than in the forest interior or edge in both Hwaseong and Hoengseong. However, in Hwaseong, species richness of the forest edge was similar to that of the forest interior, while in Hoengseong forest edge species richness was intermediate between that of the forest interior and surrounding areas. In addition, non-metric multidimensional scaling based on the combined data of both locations showed that the species composition of ground beetles in the forest edge was more similar to that of the forest interior than the surrounding areas, although some open-habitat species occurred at the forest edges. Three characteristic groups (forest specialists, edge-associated species, and open-habitat species) of ground beetle species were detected by indicator value analysis. In our study, ground beetle assemblages differed in the forest edges of two agro-forest landscapes, suggesting that the edge effect on biota can be influenced by landscape structure.     

大兴安岭地区兴安落叶松林步甲群落多样性时间动态分析

兴安落叶松林是大兴安岭地区代表性的植被类型,其生物多样性具有独特性。步甲是森林生态系统环境和多样性的指示性物种,以及认识环境变化和生物多样性特征的关键物种。为研究大兴安岭地区兴安落叶松林步甲群落多样性的时间动态,分析步甲群落对时间变化的响应规律,于2019年5月下旬-8月下旬步甲活跃期,利用陷阱诱捕法在兴安落叶松林5个样地中采集步甲标本共15属34种1149头,其中大兴安岭地区地理新纪录物种7种,中国地理新纪录物种6种。研究结果表明,通缘步甲属（Pterostichus）和大步甲属（Carabus）物种丰富度最高;通缘步甲属未定种5（Pterostichus eximius）为极优势物种,对时间变化最敏感。兴安落叶松林小生境类型的多样化和步甲休眠期的选择是步甲群落个体数和物种数随时间变化呈双峰模式的主要因素,最高峰均出现在6月下旬;多样性与均匀度指数均在7月上旬达高峰期,8月下旬多样性下降而均匀度上升,各指数之间相关性较低。步甲群落在6月下旬到7月下旬对环境具有较高的适应度;群落结构在环境条件相对稳定的6月下旬到7月下旬和8月上旬到8月下旬均表现为极相似（I>0.75）。物种取食特征和生活史策略的多样化使步甲群落各指数随时间变化具有显著差异,而物种取食特征和生活史策略受环境因子的综合影响较大。稳定的森林环境条件下,步甲活跃期更长,群落结构相似度更高。该结果为步甲群落时间动态研究奠定了一定的理论基础,为大兴安岭地区地下生物多样性的保护和管理策略制定提供了一定的理论和数据依据。     

Changes in beta diversity and species functional traits differ between saplings and mature trees in an old‐growth forest

Invasion by generalist tree species can cause biotic homogenization, and such community impoverishment is likely more important in rare forest types. We quantified changes in tree diversity within Carolinian (range in Central Hardwood Forest), central (range in Central Hardwood Forest and Northern Hardwood‐Conifer Forest), and northern species [range reached Northern‐Conifer‐Hardwood/closed Boreal (spruce‐Fir) Forest] in an old forest tract in southern Canada at points surveyed 24 years apart. We asked: How did mature tree and sapling composition and abundance change for the three species’ groups? Did those changes lead to biotic homogenization? Can species’ changes be explained by community traits? We tested for differences in temporal and spatial tree β‐diversity, as well as forest composition and structure, using univariate/multivariate analyses and a community trait‐based approach to identify drivers of change. Major increases occurred in abundance for mature Acer rubrum (northern), while other species decreased (Fraxinus americana, Populus grandidentata); declines were found in A. saccharinum (central) and Cornus florida (Carolinian). Species composition of saplings, but not mature trees, changed due to replacement; no evidence for biotic homogenization existed in either cohort. As a group, northern mature tree species increased significantly, while central species decreased; saplings of pooled Carolinian species also declined. Shade tolerance in mature trees increased, reflecting successional changes, while drought tolerance decreased, perhaps due to changing temperatures, altered precipitation or ground water levels. Saplings showed declines in all traits, probably because of compositional change. Our results demonstrated that saplings can more closely reflect change in forest dynamics than mature trees, especially over short time periods. Based on sapling trends, this remnant could ultimately transition to a mesophytic hardwood stand dominated by A. rubrum and other shade‐tolerant species, creating a more homogeneous forest. While encouraging regeneration for Carolinian and central tree species could ensure high levels of diversity are conserved in the future, it is important to balance this with the primary management goal of maintaining the forest''s old‐growth characteristics.     

Dung beetle persistence in human-modified landscapes: Combining indicator species with anthropogenic land use and fragmentation-related effects

Identifying and making use of ecological indicators becomes an essential task in the conservation of tropical systems, mainly in fragmented landscapes where land use intensification and habitat loss are confounding factors in the detection of species’ responses to human-caused disturbance. We aimed to analyze the importance of anthropogenic land use and fragmentation-related effects on dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) persistence according to the interior–exterior non-linear gradient (forest + matrix) in a fragmented Atlantic Forest landscape used to sugar cane production and cattle ranching/farming. We offer scores for a comprehensive set of community-level attributes, from beetle abundance to taxonomic and ecological composition (i.e. species body size), including a list of indicator species of different forest habitats and adjacent matrix. Dung beetles were surveyed by traps across forest interiors (i.e. core forest areas) and edges of a primary forest, small fragments, sugar cane fields and pastures in a total of 60 sites. Indicator analyses were conducted across the landscape, using two well-established methods (IndVal and SIMPER). Our results suggest that (1) cross-habitat taxonomic distinctness is associated with the presence of indicator species, (2) some species benefit or are dependent of open habitats created by human-disturbances, such as forest edges (e.g. Canthon nigripennis) and matrices (e.g. Canthon aff. piluliformis, Dichotomius nisus and Trichilum externepunctatum), (3) although landscape habitats exhibit reduced beta diversity, dung beetle assemblages are spatially organized in response to the presence of both forest habitats and matrix and fragment area, (4) forest interior supports beetle assemblages biased toward large-bodied species, (5) accordingly forest interior, forest edges and matrix support taxonomically distinct assemblages, both contributing to the bulk of species richness at landscape level, (6) the response of dung beetles to the interior–exterior non-linear gradient (i.e. forest edge + matrix) reveals a similar pattern regardless of the nature of the matrix, and (7) there is no within-habitat variation in beetle abundance and species richness associated with distance from forest edge. Given that there is a high number of forest-dependent or forest-interior specialist species (e.g. Aphengium aff. sordidum, Ateuchus aff. alipioi, Dichotomius mormon, Ontherus aff. erosus and Onthophagus aff. clypeatus) dung beetle persistence in human-modified landscape is highly dependent on the presence of core areas, although edge-affected and matrix habitats may be complementary. This information is essential to permit a better prospect for dung beetle persistence in human-modified landscapes as they continue to move toward edge-dominated landscapes with intensively managed matrices.     

Distribution of ground-dwelling beetles in fragmented tropical habitats

The conservation of biodiversity is increasingly dependent on human-altered habitats. In a fragmented forest landscape in northern Costa Rica within the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, an area of great conservation importance, we compared the diversity and composition of ground-dwelling beetle communities in five habitat types along a gradient of increasing disturbance: primary forest, logged forest, secondary forest, plantation (Gmelina arborea) and pasture. Using pitfall trapping we captured a total of 1,877 beetles (Coleoptera), comprising 422 morphospecies in 26 families. The plantation sites had the lowest number of species followed by secondary forest and pasture. Multivariate analysis separated the beetle fauna according to land use, and suggested that only the logged forest maintains a similar species assemblage to primary forest. However, each habitat harboured a number of unique species indicating the conservation value of the mosaic of habitats found in fragmented landscapes. Our results suggest that to maintain forest beetle species diversity it is essential that areas of natural forest are conserved. However, other land uses also provide beetle habitats and in fragmented areas active management to maintain a mosaic of land uses will contribute to the conservation of beetle diversity.     

The diversity of beetle assemblages in different habitat types in Sabah, Malaysia

The diversity of beetle assemblages in different habitat types (primary forest, logged forest, acacia plantation and oil palm plantation) in Sabah, Malaysia was investigated using three different methods based on habitat levels (Winkler sampling, flight-interception-trapping and mist-blowing). The overall diversity was extremely high, with 1711 species recorded from only 8028 individuals and 81 families (115 family and subfamily groups). Different degrees of environmental changes had varying effects on the beetle species richness and abundance, with oil palm plantation assemblage being most severely affected, followed by acacia plantation and then logged forest. A few species became numerically dominant in the oil palm plantation. In terms of beetle species composition, the acacia fauna showed much similarity with the logged forest fauna, and the oil palm fauna was very different from the rest. The effects of environmental variables (number of plant species, sapling and tree densities, amount of leaf litter, ground cover, canopy cover, soil pH and compaction) on the beetle assemblage were also investigated. Leaf litter correlated with species richness, abundance and composition of subterranean beetles. Plant species richness, tree and sapling densities correlated with species richness, abundance and composition of understorey beetles while ground cover correlated only with the species richness and abundance of these beetles. Canopy cover correlated only with arboreal beetles. In trophic structure, predators represented more than 40% of the species and individuals. Environmental changes affected the trophic structure with proportionally more herbivores (abundance) but fewer predators (species richness and abundance) in the oil palm plantation. Biodiversity, conservation and practical aspects of pest management were also highlighted in this study.     

Habitat and climatic preferences drive invasions of non-native ambrosia beetles in deciduous temperate forests

The introduction of non-native ambrosia beetles can cause severe damage in forest ecosystems. Understanding the environmental drivers affecting their invasion at the local scale is of utmost importance to enhancing management strategies. Our objectives were: (1) to determine the influence of forest composition, forest structure, and climate on invasion success of non-native ambrosia beetles in deciduous temperate forests, and (2) to test the effect of host tree species on colonization success by non-native ambrosia beetles. In 2013, we sampled 25 forest stands located in North-East Italy belonging to three forest types dominated respectively by hop hornbeam, chestnut, and beech. Both ethanol-baited traps and trap-logs of five tree species (hop hornbeam, chestnut, beech, manna ash, and black locust) were used to sample non-native and native ambrosia beetle communities. We found a clear effect of forest composition on non-native species richness and activity-density, as measured in ethanol-baited traps, both of which were higher in chestnut-dominated forests. Furthermore, we found a positive effect of temperature on both the number of trapped non-native species and their activity-density, with cold temperatures limiting beetle spread in high-elevation forests. Only Xylosandrus germanus successfully colonized the trap-logs. The number of colonized logs was higher for chestnut and in chestnut-dominated forests. Both trapping and log-baiting indicated that chestnut-dominated forests were at greater risk of invasion than hop hornbeam- and beech-dominated forests. Given the economic and ecological importance of chestnut, ambrosia beetle communities present in chestnut-dominated forests should be monitored to determine where protective measures must be taken.     

Trait-specific response of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) to forest fragmentation in the temperate region in Korea

The objective of this study was to examine the trait-specific response of ground beetles in terms of abundance, species richness, and composition for habitat fragmentation in temperate forests. In addition, we examined how different ecological groups and species of ground beetles responded to environmental variables. During middle May to early November in 2013, ground beetles were sampled using pitfall traps in 27 sites (18 patches and 9 continuous forests) in central Korea. A total of 51 species were identified from 17,845 ground beetles in the 27 study sites. Continuous forests had generally higher abundance and species richness of ground beetles than forest patches. Canonical correspondence analysis for ground beetles was significant, and the proportion of variance explained by environmental variables, such as patch size, elevation, organic matter (C), and soil moisture and pH, was 43.61%. In addition, species composition of ground beetles in continuous forests was grouped distinctively away from those in medium and small-sized patches. In conclusion, both small (1.1–9.6 ha) and medium patches (12.8–51.2 ha) were failed to preserve similar ground beetle biodiversity compared to continuous forests. However, our study revealed that medium-sized forest patches clearly had higher conservation value for forest specialist ground beetles than small-sized forest patches irrespective of forest type.     

Rapid Increases in Forest Understory Diversity and Productivity following a Mountain Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) Outbreak in Pine Forests

The current unprecedented outbreak of mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forests of western Canada has resulted in a landscape consisting of a mosaic of forest stands at different stages of mortality. Within forest stands, understory communities are the reservoir of the majority of plant species diversity and influence the composition of future forests in response to disturbance. Although changes to stand composition following beetle outbreaks are well documented, information on immediate responses of forest understory plant communities is limited. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of D. ponderosae-induced tree mortality on initial changes in diversity and productivity of understory plant communities. We established a total of 110 1-m² plots across eleven mature lodgepole pine forests to measure changes in understory diversity and productivity as a function of tree mortality and below ground resource availability across multiple years. Overall, understory community diversity and productivity increased across the gradient of increased tree mortality. Richness of herbaceous perennials increased with tree mortality as well as soil moisture and nutrient levels. In contrast, the diversity of woody perennials did not change across the gradient of tree mortality. Understory vegetation, namely herbaceous perennials, showed an immediate response to improved growing conditions caused by increases in tree mortality. How this increased pulse in understory richness and productivity affects future forest trajectories in a novel system is unknown.     

Soil arthropoda of post-fire successions in northern taiga of West Siberia

The soil arthropoda population of northern taiga was investigated in the primary pine forest which had not been subject to any fire for at least 100 years and at two burnt sites of different opost-fire successions. The population of the primary nonburnt forest is represented by 54 microarthropoda species. The mesofauna is composed almost exceptionally of spiders: 10 species of them were identified. The foliage underwood develops on young burnt sites; the soil is covered with thick mossy cushions, with spots of reedgrass. The density of collembolan and oribatid mite population there is about two times lower than in nonburnt pine forests; gamasid mites are absent. The microarthropoda population is represented by the species which are common in the surrounding primary pine forests. The mesofauna consists mainly of ground beetles, open-land predators, and myxophytophagans. Spiders are represented by some widespread mobile species of low density. A mixed forest with mossy-lichen cover is formed on old burnt sites (of an age of about 50 years). Diversity and density of microarthropoda increase reaching the values characteristic of the primary forest; however, the species composition and dominance are still different. The fraction of spiders in mesofauna increases. The ground beetle population is the most abundant and diverse.     

Influence of tree hollow characteristics and forest structure on saproxylic beetle diversity in tree hollows in managed forests in a regional comparison

Tree hollows are among the rarest habitats in today''s Central European managed forests but are considered key structures for high biodiversity in forests. To analyze and compare the effects of tree hollow characteristics and forest structure on diversity of saproxylic beetles in tree hollows in differently structured managed forests, we examined between 41 and 50 tree hollows in beech trees in each of three state forest management districts in Germany. During the two‐year study, we collected 283 saproxylic beetle species (5880 individuals; 22% threatened species), using emergence traps. At small spatial scales, the size of hollow entrance and the number of surrounding microhabitat structures positively influenced beetle diversity, while the stage of wood mould decomposition had a negative influence, across all three forest districts. We utilized forest inventory data to analyze the effects of forest structure in radii of 50–500 m around tree hollows on saproxylic beetle diversity in the hollows. At these larger spatial scales, the three forest management districts differed remarkably regarding the parameters that influenced saproxylic beetle diversity in tree hollows. In Ebrach, characterized by mostly deciduous trees, the amount of dead wood positively influenced beetle diversity. In the mostly coniferous Fichtelberg forest district, with highly isolated tree hollows, in contrast, only the proportion of beech trees around the focal tree hollows showed a positive influence on beetle diversity. In Kelheim, characterized by mixed forest stands, there were no significant relationships between forest structure and beetle diversity in tree hollows. In this study, the same local tree hollow parameters influenced saproxylic beetle diversity in all three study regions, while parameters of forest structure at larger spatial scales differed in their importance, depending on tree‐species composition.     

Beetle species richness along the forest productivity gradient in northern Finland

The occurrence and habitat associations of the majority of invertebrate groups in boreal forests are poorly known, even though these groups represent perhaps over 99% of the animal species diversity in the forests. We studied the beetle (Coleoptera) fauna of four forest site types in northern Finland: in spruce mires, herb rich, mesic and sub-xeric forests. We sampled beetles in 32 study sites with five window and five pitfall traps in each. We describe the species abundance and diversity patterns within and among forest types and relate these patterns to structural components of the forests. The volume of decaying wood varied from 14 to 93 m³ ha⁻¹ among sampling sites. The total beetle catch consisted of 100 333 individuals and 435 species. The beetle species richness did not vary according to site fertility but the number of specimens increased with increasing fertility in heath forest sites. The richness of beetle species correlated only weakly with any of the stand structure characteristics at the stand level. Nevertheless, the detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) indicated that different beetle assemblages are characteristic of different forest types. The high level of beta-diversity in beetles among forest types indicates that focusing exclusively on, for example, key-biotopes (presumed biodiversity hotspots) when selecting areas to be set aside would result in a situation where a large proportion of species, even of the rare and threatened ones, is not included in this network of protected areas. This suggests that the complementary set of different forest types may be the best general strategy to maintain the overall beetle species diversity in boreal forests.     

Dung beetle communities as biological indicators of riparian forest widths in southern Brazil

Riparian forests provide important habitat for many wildlife species and are sensitive to landscape change. Among terrestrial invertebrates, dung beetles have been used to investigate the effects of environmental disturbances on forest structure and diversity. Since many studies demonstrated a negative response of dung beetle communities to increasing forest fragmentation, and that most dung beetle species had a more pronounced occurrence during warmest seasons, three hypotheses were tested: (1) Scarabaeinae richness, abundance, diversity and evenness are lower in thinner riparian zone widths than in wider widths during the warmest seasons; (2) Scarabaeinae richness and abundance are positively influenced by leaf litter coverage and height and canopy cover; and (3) Scarabaeinae composition varies with the reduction in riparian vegetation and among annual seasons. We selected four fragments with different riparian zone widths in three secondary streams in southern Brazil. In each fragment, four sampling periods were carried out seasonally between spring 2010 and winter 2011. We collected dung beetles using pitfall traps with two types of bait. We collected 1289 specimens distributed among 29 species. In spring and summer, dung beetle richness was higher in fragments with the widest riparian zone than in those with a thinner riparian zone, and it did not vary between fragments in fall and winter seasons. Dung beetle abundance did not differ among fragments with different riparian zone widths, but it was higher in spring and summer than fall and winter. Richness and abundance were positively influenced by leaf litter. While dung beetle diversity was higher in fragments with wider riparian zone widths than in those with thinner widths, the evenness was similar among fragments. Dung beetle composition differed between the fragments with the widest and thinnest riparian zones, and it also varied among the seasons. Our results suggest that decreased riparian zones affect negatively to dung beetle community structure in southern Brazil. Fragments with thinner riparian zones had lower beetle richness in warmest seasons and an altered community composition. In this sense, the dung beetles are potentially good indicators of riparian forest fragmentation since some species were indicators of a particular riparian zone width. From a conservation perspective, our results demonstrate that the new Brazilian Forest Code will greatly jeopardize not only the terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity of these ecosystems, but also countless other ecological functions.     

Influences of shrub vegetation on distribution and diversity of a ground beetle community in a Gobi desert ecosystem

In shrubland ecosystems, shrubs as ecosystem engineers play an important role in structuring ground beetle communities. However, the influence of shrub vegetation on the distribution and diversity of ground beetles remains unknown in Gobi desert, northwest China, where shrubland is a major biome type. Using Gobi shrubland dominated by shrub species Nitraria sphaerocarpa and Reaumuria soongorica as a model system, we sampled ground beetle communities using a pitfall trapping method under canopies of both shrubs and in intershrub bare areas during spring, summer and autumn corresponding to the main period of beetle activity. Simultaneously, physical environment of the three microhabitats and plant characteristics of both shrubs were measured. We determined whether shrubs and species identity influence ground beetle distribution and diversity patterns and whether the response of beetles to the presence and species of shrubs is consistent across species. At the community level, total beetle abundance and species richness were significantly greater under shrubs than in intershrub bare areas, whereas more beetles were captured under N. sphaerocarpa than under R. soongorica. At the population level, eight dominant beetle species responded differently to the presence and species of shrubs. The abundance of Anatolica sp., Carabus sp., Cyphogenia chinensis, Microdera sp. and Sternoplax setosa was consistently much greater under shrubs than in intershrub bare areas, whereas the abundance of Blaps gobiensis, Lethrus apterus and Pterocoma reitteri under shrubs was similar to that in intershrub bare areas. The shrub N. sphaerocarpa was commonly preferred by Anatolica sp., C. chinensis and S. setosa, whereas the shrub R. soongorica was commonly preferred by L. apterus, but the abundance of B. gobiensis, Carabus sp., Microdera sp. and P. reitteri was unaffected by shrub species. Differences in the abundance, species richness and composition of ground beetles among microhabitat types were largely related to among-microhabitat differences in the physical environment and resource availability. Our results suggest that shrubs and species identity play key roles in structuring ground beetle communities, but their influence differed between species. This study emphasizes the importance of protecting shrub habitats for the maintenances of beetle biodiversity in this Gobi desert ecosystem.     

Tree retention in cattle ranching systems partially preserves dung beetle diversity and functional groups in the semideciduous Atlantic forest: The role of microclimate and soil conditions

The disturbance of natural environments affects, among others, the diversity of dung beetle assemblages, which could have serious consequences for the ecological processes regulated by these insects. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare species diversity and functional groups of dung beetle assemblages both in the native forest and in three livestock systems that differed in their structure and composition of vegetation: a livestock system with native trees, a livestock system with exotic trees (Pinus taeda), and traditional open pastures, in the semideciduous Atlantic forest of Argentina, in an area previously covered by continuous forest and currently with a heterogeneous landscape of native forest and different land uses. Pitfall traps baited with cow dung were used in the natural forests and the livestock systems studied. A total of 2461 beetles belonging to 38 species were captured. Treed livestock systems showed the highest species richness (⁰D) and diversity (¹D and ²D). Twelve functional groups were identified. The native forest showed the highest functional group richness, while open pastures had the lowest. In general, livestock systems showed a low proportional abundance of telecoprid, diurnal and large beetles. Microclimate (average temperature and humidity) and soil conditions (soil composition: sandy or clayey) were closely associated with the species and functional group composition. Results confirm that cattle ranching with tree retention preserves dung beetle diversity, and suggest that cattle systems without canopy cover have higher impact (negative effects) than silvopastoral systems on both species and functional groups.     

Large herbivores affect forest ecosystem functions by altering the structure of dung beetle communities

Dramatic increases in populations of large mammalian herbivores have become a major ecological issue, particularly in the northern hemisphere, due to their substantial impacts on both animal and plant communities through processes such as grazing, browsing, and trampling. However, little is known about the consequences of these population explosions on ecosystem functions. Here, we experimentally investigated how the population density of sika deer (Cervus nippon) in temperate deciduous forest areas in Japan affected the decomposition of mammal dung by dung beetles, which is a key process in forest ecosystems. We measured a range of environmental variables (e.g., vegetation cover, soil hardness) and the dung decomposition rate, measured as the amount of deer dung decomposed during one week, and sampled dung beetles at 16 study sites with three different deer densities (high/intermediate/low). We then used structural equation modeling to investigate the relationships between deer density, environmental variables, the biomass of dung beetles (classified into small or large species), and the dung decomposition rate. We found that the biomass of small species increased with increasing deer density, whereas that of large species was not related to deer density. Furthermore, the dung decomposition rate was positively related to the biomass of small species but unrelated to that of large species. Overall, our results showed that an increase in deer density affects the decomposition rate of mammal dung by changing the structure of dung beetle communities (i.e., increasing the number of small dung beetles). Such an understanding of how increases in large herbivore populations affect ecosystem functions is important for accurately evaluating the ecological consequences of their overabundance and ultimately managing their populations appropriately.     

Distribution of millipedes (Myriapoda,Diplopoda) along a forest interior – forest edge – grassland habitat complex

We studied the distribution of millipedes in a forest interior-forest edge-grassland habitat complex in the Hajdúság Landscape Protection Area (NE Hungary). The habitat types were as follows: (1) lowland oak forest, (2) forest edge with increased ground vegetation and shrub cover, and (3) mesophilous grassland. We collected millipedes by litter and soil sifting. There were overall 30 sifted litter and soil samples: 3 habitat types × 2 replicates × 5 soil and litter samples per habitats. We collected 9 millipede species; the most abundant species was Glomeris tetrasticha, which was the most abundant species in the forest edge as well. The most abundant species in the forest interior was Kryphioiulus occultus, while the most abundant species in the grassland was Megaphyllum unilineatum. Our result showed that the number of millipede species was significantly lower in the grassland than in the forest or in the edge, however there were no significant difference in the number of species between the forest interior and the forest edge. We found significantly the highest number of millipede individuals in the forest edge. There were differences in the composition of the millipede assemblages of the three habitats. The results of the DCCA showed that forest edge and forest interior habitats were clearly separated from the grassland habitats. The forest edge habitat was characterized by high air temperature, high soil moisture, high soil pH, high soil enzyme activity, high shrub cover and low canopy cover. The IndVal and the DCCA methods revealed the following character species of the forest edge habitats: Glomeris tetrasticha and Leptoiulus cibdellus. Changes in millipede abundance and composition were highly correlated with the vegetation structure.     

Transplantation of organic surface horizons of boreal soils into warmer regions alters microbiology but not the temperature sensitivity of decomposition

Changes in soil carbon, the largest terrestrial carbon pool, are critical for the global carbon cycle, atmospheric CO₂ levels and climate. Climate warming is predicted to be most pronounced in the northern regions and therefore the large soil carbon pool residing in boreal forests will be subject to larger global warming impact than soil carbon pools in the temperate or the tropical forest. A major uncertainty in current estimates of the terrestrial carbon balance is related to decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM). We hypothesized that when soils are exposed to warmer climate the structure of the ground vegetation will change much more rapidly than the dominant tree species. This change will alter the quality and amount of litter input to the soil and induce changes in microbial communities, thus possibly altering the temperature sensitivity of SOM decomposition. We transferred organic surface soil sections from the northern borders of the boreal forest zone to corresponding forest sites in the southern borders of the boreal forest zone and studied the effects of warmer climate after an adaptation period of 2 years. The results showed that initially ground vegetation and soil microbial community structure and community functions were different in northern and southern forest sites and that 2 years of exposure to warmer climate was long enough to cause changes in these ecological indicators. The rate of SOM decomposition was approximately equally sensitive to temperature irrespective of changes in vegetation or microbial communities in the studied forest sites. However, as temperature sensitivity of the decomposition increases with decreasing temperature regime, the proportional increase in the decomposition rate in northern latitudes could lead to significant carbon losses from the soils.