Carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) at forest-farmland edges in southern Finland

We studied carabid beetle abundance at eight forest-farmland edges using pitfall traps across 60-m gradients (30 m into the forest, 30 m into the adjacent farmland) in southern Finland in May–August 2001. Carabid assemblages changed gradually across the studied gradients, the most drastic changes occurring right at the edge (5 m). Forest-associated carabids were often caught in farmland habitat within 20–30 m from the edges, and open-habitat carabids were also caught in the forest patches. However, these two groups responded to the edge in slightly different ways. Forest carabids were abundant all across the gradient from forest interior to the edge ( 80 m 9), while open-habitat carabids showed a drastic abundance decrease toward the forest, 5–10 m before the edge the abundance-change slope across the edge: gradient was steeper for open-habitat than for forest carabids. Wing-dimorphic and long-winged carabids increased more steeply from forest to farmland, compared to short-winged carabids. Moreover, carabids associated with dry and moist habitat showed indications of stronger response to the edge than did eurytopic species. The pair-wise comparisons between predatory/mixed-diet carabids and seed-eaters, spring and autumn breeders, and day- and night-active species did not indicate edge-response differences.     

Carabid beetle assemblage under diversified agroecosystems

Corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max Merrill) were planted in monoculture and strip-intercropping plots (18.3×15.5 m each) under conventional tillage and no-tillage to create differences in habitat structure. The effects of these agronomic practices on carabid beetle species composition were measured by pitfall-trap collections during three years. Although neither the number of individuals or number of species were significantly affected by treatments, analyses of variance indicated that four of the six dominant species (75.7% of the total number of carabids captured in three years) responded to tillage treatments.Harpalus pensylvanicus DeGeer andCyclotrachelus sodalis (LeConte) were more abundant in no-tillage plots, whereasPterostichus chalcites Say andScarites substriatus Haldeman were more common in conventional tillage plots.Pterostichus chalcites was also significantly more abundant in soybean plots than in intercropping or corn plots.H. pensylvanicus, a primarily herbivorous carabid, was the most common species collected. However,P. chalcites, a predaceous carabid, was the dominant species in soybean/conventional tillage plots. The results suggest that characteristics of individual species should be carefully considered for studies of communities such as carabid beetles, which have few strongly dominant species and a wide range of resource utilization.     

Forest edge and diversity: carabids along forest-grassland transects

Diversity relationships of carabids in forest edges and the neighbouring forest interior and the surrounding grassland are studied. Samples were taken along three replicated forest-grassland transects using pitfall traps in the Aggtelek National Park in Hungary during 2 years. The study revealed significant edge effect on the carabids. The Shannon diversity of carabids were significantly higher in the forest edge and the grassland than in the forest interior. Carabids of the forest interior, forest edge and grassland can be separated from each other by ordinations, both on the species composition and abundance, suggesting that all three habitats have a distinct species assemblage. Moreover, indicator species analysis detected significant edge associated species; based on the specificity and fidelity of the carabids we have distinguished five groups of species: habitat generalists, grassland-associated species, forest generalists, forest specialists, and edge-associated species. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that relative air moisture, temperature of the ground and cover of the herbs are the most important factors determining the diversity of carabids along the transects. Our results show that the high diversity of carabids in forest edges is due to the edge-associated species and the presence of species characteristic to the adjacent habitats. The significance of forest edges in nature conservation, serving as a source habitat for dispersal processes, contributing to the recolonization of carabids after habitat destruction or other disturbance is emphasized.     

Habitat Islands,Forest Edge and Spring-active Invertebrate Assemblages

Forest management results in forest patches of varying sizes within a clearcut matrix. The result is a large amount of edge habitat and many small patches across the landscape. Here we describe the spring-active epigeal spider and carabid fauna found at the forest-clearcut edge of spruce forest in northern Ontario, Canada. We include two types of edge: the forest-clearcut interface and the small habitat patches formed by forest residuals within the clearcut. Spring-active forest spiders and carabids appear little affected by adjacent clearcutting activity, and some forest species, such as Agyneta olivacea (Emetron), Diplocentria bidentata (Emetron) and Microneta viaria (Blackwall), are more prevalent at the forested edge. Common and abundant spider species were equally recorded in forest interior and forest edge. Generally, no invasion of open-habitat species was observed within the forest, although smaller forest patches may be at higher risk.     

The impact of hedge-forest connectivity and microhabitat conditions on spider and carabid beetle assemblages in agricultural landscapes

Agricultural intensification in terms of decreasing landscape complexity and connectivity has negatively affected biodiversity. Linear landscape elements composed of woody vegetation like hedges may counteract this negative trend by providing habitats and enhancing habitat connectivity for different organisms. Here, we tested the impacts of habitat type (forest edges vs. hedges) and hedges’ isolation (connected vs. isolated hedges) from forests as well as microhabitat conditions (percentage of bare ground and width) on trait-specific occurrence of ground-dwelling arthropods, namely spiders and carabids. Arthropods were grouped by habitat specialisation (forest vs. open-habitat species vs. generalists), hunting strategy (web-building or hunting spiders) and dispersal ability (wing morphology of carabids). Spider and carabid assemblage composition was strongly influenced by habitat type and isolation, but not by microhabitat conditions. Activity density of forest species and brachypterous carabids was higher in forest edges compared to hedges, whereas open-habitat species and macropterous carabids showed reverse patterns, with no effects of isolation. Occurrence of generalist carabids, but not spiders, was higher in hedges compared to forest edges. Habitat type and isolation did not affect spiders with different hunting strategy. Microhabitat conditions were less important for spider and carabid occurrence. Our study concludes that on a landscape scale, type of linear woody habitat is more important for arthropod occurrence than isolation effects and microhabitat conditions, depending on traits. Hedges provide refuges for species specialised to open habitats and species with high dispersal ability, such as macropterous carabids. Forest edges enhance persistence of species specialised to forests and species with low dispersal ability, such as brachypterous carabids.     

Habitat heterogeneity as the key determinant of the abundance and habitat preference of prey species of tiger in the Chitwan National Park,Nepal

Studies on the relationship between habitat heterogeneity and animal abundance are essential for understanding what determines biodiversity. Transect-based direct observations of eight principal prey species of tiger in the Chitwan National Park (CNP) were used to determine their abundances and habitat preferences. Chital was the most abundant prey species of tiger (Panthera tigris). Each of the prey species had significantly different habitat preferences except sambar deer and chital. Habitat preference was measured using Manly’s preference index, which revealed that short grassland, mixed forest, and riverine forest were the most preferred habitats of the prey species. The results indicate that large species of deer tend to be found in more diverse habitats than small species, except muntjac. The abundance of the principal prey species of tiger was positively correlated with habitat heterogeneity. The habitat, which contributes significantly to the heterogeneity of the landscape, is grassland in large patches of forest. The ongoing increase of forest cover in the CNP has led to a reduction in the area of grassland, which may negatively affect the abundance of the prey species of tiger. Hence, it is suggested that the restoration of landscape heterogeneity is the best way to manage the habitats in the CNP.     

The importance of small-scale heterogeneity in boreal forests: variation in diversity in forest-floor invertebrates across the succession gradient

Heterogeneity in species assemblages of forest-floor arthropods — carabid beetles, ants and spiders — within and between different forest age classes was studied in the southern Finnish taiga. The importance of processes operating on the local scale (within the movement radius of the species) vs on the regional scale (among forest stands) in determining the observed variation was assessed. Four data sets with different spatial resolutions in mesic forests in the same general study area were used. The material consists of 18 283 carabids of 51 species, 48 769 spiders of 212 species, and 126 718 worker ants of 23 species. Analyses of abundance variation and species complementarity among successional stages revealed that in all the three taxa species occurring in the mature forest were prevalent in the younger successional stages as well, constituting more than half of the catch in any age class. A great majority of carabid and spider species were widely distributed across the forest age classes, whereas ants include a higher proportion of species with a narrower amplitude across the succession gradient. Comparisons of similarity between samples at increasing distance from one another on the local scale within forest stands (a few tens of meters to a few hundreds of meters) showed a quite consistent pattern in carabids and spiders: there was more variation between sampling sites in young successional forests than in the mature forest. Furthermore, only in the mature forest a slight, albeit statistically not significant, negative relationship between similarity of samples and distance between sampling sites was detected. In carabids and spiders, comparisons between samples located at a distance of 10–15 m from each other showed considerable heterogeneity, the mean percentage similarity being c. 0.6 (in ants c. 0.8). On the regional scale, systematic variation between young and mature forest stands is a major element increasing the total diversity (species turnover c. 50% in carabids and spiders; compositional similarity c. 0.3–0.4 in carabids, 0.2–0.3 in spiders), but variation within forest stands on a spatial scale of 10–15 meters is another important component in the total heterogeneity. The results suggest that regional abundance variation is a primary factor influencing the composition of local assemblages; a set of hypotheses elaborating this conclusion is formulated. The result implies that maintenance of habitat heterogeneity on a small scale (10–15 m) is needed to preserve biodiversity in managed forests.     

The effect of forest disturbance on the leaf litter ant fauna in Ghana

In order to observe the effect of forest loss on the leaf litter ant fauna in Ghana, West Africa, samples were taken in primary forest, secondary forest and in cocoa plots. Ants were extracted from the leaf litter by sieving followed by suspension in Winkler bags. The species composition and species richness in the three different habitats were compared and no significant difference was found between them. It was concluded that most primary forest leaf litter ant species continue to survive in parts of the agricultural landscape which has largely replaced their original habitat.     

Removal of invasive shrubs alters light but not leaf litter inputs in a deciduous forest understory

The establishment and spread of non‐native, invasive shrubs in forests poses an important obstacle to natural resource conservation and management. This study assesses the impacts of the physical removal of a complex of woody invasive shrub species on deciduous forest understory resources. We compared leaf litter quantity and quality and understory light transmittance in five pairs of invaded and removal plots in an oak‐dominated suburban mature forest. Removal plots were cleared of all non‐native invasive shrubs. The invasive shrubs were abundant (143,456 stems/ha) and diverse, dominated by species in the genera Ligustrum, Viburnum, Lonicera, and Euonymus. Annual leaf litter biomass and carbon inputs of invaded plots were not different from removal plots due to low leaf litter biomass of invasive shrubs. Invasive shrub litter had higher nitrogen (N) concentrations than native species; however, low biomass of invasive litter led to low N inputs by litter of invasive species compared to native. Light transmittance at the forest floor and at 2 m was lower in invaded plots than in removal plots. We conclude that the removal of the abundant invasive shrubs from a native deciduous forest understory did not alter litter quantity or N inputs, one measure of litter quality, and increased forest understory light availability. More light in the forest understory could facilitate the restoration of forest understory dynamics.     

The conservation value of South East Asia's highly degraded forests: evidence from leaf-litter ants

South East Asia is widely regarded as a centre of threatened biodiversity owing to extensive logging and forest conversion to agriculture. In particular, forests degraded by repeated rounds of intensive logging are viewed as having little conservation value and are afforded meagre protection from conversion to oil palm. Here, we determine the biological value of such heavily degraded forests by comparing leaf-litter ant communities in unlogged (natural) and twice-logged forests in Sabah, Borneo. We accounted for impacts of logging on habitat heterogeneity by comparing species richness and composition at four nested spatial scales, and examining how species richness was partitioned across the landscape in each habitat. We found that twice-logged forest had fewer species occurrences, lower species richness at small spatial scales and altered species composition compared with natural forests. However, over 80 per cent of species found in unlogged forest were detected within twice-logged forest. Moreover, greater species turnover among sites in twice-logged forest resulted in identical species richness between habitats at the largest spatial scale. While two intensive logging cycles have negative impacts on ant communities, these degraded forests clearly provide important habitat for numerous species and preventing their conversion to oil palm and other crops should be a conservation priority.     

Seasonal variation in leaf-litter input and leaf dispersal distances to streams: the effect of converting broadleaf riparian zones to conifer plantations in central Japan

Sugi (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) is one of the most important evergreen coniferous plantation species in Japan. Much of the riparian forest that was originally dominated by deciduous broadleaf trees has been converted into sugi plantations. The present study investigated the seasonality of leaf-litter input and leaf dispersal to streams to assess the effects of converting riparian forest to sugi plantations. The seasonality of leaf-litter input was assessed at three streams in Nagoya University Forest. At one stream dominated by deciduous broadleaf trees, input was limited to autumn. At two streams in a sugi plantation, input was prolonged from autumn to early spring, and was dominated by sugi needles from winter to early spring. These results suggest that sugi plantations alter the seasonality of leaf-litter input from riparian forests and affect stream ecosystems. Leaf dispersal was assessed by considering the relationship between leaf dispersal distance from three forest layers to the stream and leaf-litter input into two streams. The maximum leaf dispersal distance was 26–28 m for deciduous broadleaf trees from mid-October to November and 10–12 m for sugi needles from December to April. Leaf dispersal distance depended on the tree species. Four species of deciduous broadleaf tree showed greater leaf dispersal than that of sugi. The mean weight of individual sugi needles was higher than that of the broadleaf trees’ leaves, and dispersal depended on strong winds in winter and early spring. Although the leaf dispersal distance from the understory was within 2–4 m, it could be a significant source of leaf-litter input to streams.     

The spatial distribution of birds and carabid beetles in pine plantation forests: the role of landscape composition and structure

Aim To evaluate the joint and independent effects of spatial location, landscape composition and landscape structure on the distribution patterns of bird and carabid beetle assemblages in a mosaic landscape dominated by pine plantation forests. Location A continuous 3000‐ha landscape mosaic with native maritime pine Pinus pinaster plantations of different ages, deciduous woodlands and open habitats, located in the Landes de Gascogne forest of south‐western France. Methods We sampled breeding birds by 20‐min point counts and carabid beetles by pitfall trapping using a systematic grid sampling of 200 points every 400 m over the whole landscape. Explanatory variables were composed of three data sets derived from GIS habitat mapping: (1) spatial variables (polynomial terms of geographical coordinates of samples), (2) landscape composition as the percentage cover of the six main habitats, and (3) landscape structure metrics including indices of fragmentation and spatial heterogeneity. We used canonical correspondence analysis with variance partitioning to evaluate the joint and independent effects of the three sets of variables on the ordination of species assemblages. Moran's I correlograms and Mantel tests were used to assess for spatial structure in species distribution and relationships with separate landscape attributes. Results Landscape composition was the main factor explaining the distribution patterns of birds and carabids at the mesoscale of 400 × 400 m. Independent effects of spatial variables and landscape structure were still significant for bird assemblages once landscape composition was controlled for, but not for carabid assemblages. Spatial distributions of birds and carabids were primarily influenced by the amount of heathlands, young pine plantations, herbaceous firebreaks and deciduous woodlands. Deciduous woodland species had positive responses to edge density, while open habitat species were positively associated with mean patch area. Main conclusions Forest birds were favoured by an increase in deciduous woodland cover and landscape heterogeneity, but there was no evidence for a similar effect on carabid beetles. Fragmentation of open habitats negatively affected both early‐successional birds and carabids, specialist species being restricted to large heathlands and young plantations. Several birds of conservation concern were associated with mosaics of woodlands and grasslands, especially meadows and firebreaks. Conserving biodiversity in mosaic plantation landscapes could be achieved by the maintenance of a significant amount of early‐successional habitats and deciduous woodland patches within a conifer plantation matrix.     

Bird richness and composition along an agricultural gradient in New Guinea: The influence of land use,habitat heterogeneity and proximity to intact forest

Abstract We examined variation in bird species richness, abundance and guild composition along an agricultural gradient in New Guinea, and looked for any additive influence of habitat heterogeneity on these variables. The study was based on a grid of survey plots, six plots wide and 24 plots long with the long axis running from a settlement 2.4 km through active and abandoned agricultural plots towards a large area of forest. Each circular survey plot (25 m radius) was assigned to a broad habitat type, ten habitat measures taken, and birds counted for 1 h in each plot. Principal component analysis (PCA) habitat axis 1 described an axis of decreasing forest alteration (larger trees, greater tree densities, fuller canopy) that was positively correlated with distance from the settlement. Bird richness and abundance were highest at intermediate disturbance levels (plots with mid‐range axis 1 scores). Proportions of insectivores and frugivores increased with decreasing forest alteration, while proportions of nectarivores decreased. We calculated three measures of habitat heterogeneity by comparing each plot's PCA score to those of eight neighbouring plots (50–110 m away). These measures reflected how different the plot was to its neighbours, how variable the habitat was around the plot, and the degree to which the plot bordered less disturbed forest. We related these measures to plot bird variable scores independently, and to residuals following regressions of bird scores against PCA scores. Heterogeneity measures had no significant influence on abundance or richness measures, but there were greater proportions of frugivores in plots showing a given degree of habitat alteration if they bordered more pristine habitat. While we readily identified differences in bird communities along the agricultural gradient, the influences of habitat heterogeneity were not striking for birds at this fine scale.     

Ant Diversity in Dominant Vegetation Types of Southern Cameroon

Ants have been shown as particularly affected by land disturbance through deforestation and conversion of forest to agriculture. The effect of land use change on ant diversity in the Congo Basin is not well known. We conducted intensive sampling along a gradient of increasing vegetation disturbance to test the effect of habitat disturbance on ant diversity and Functional Groups composition. Sampling was conducted in 30 plots (5 study sites × 3 habitat × 2 plots/habitat), replicated six times in 1 year. In each plot, ants were monitored with pitfall traps, quadrats and baits. We recorded 237 ant morphospecies grouped in 10 subfamilies and 43 genera. Myrmicaria opaciventris was the most abundant species followed by Anoplolepis tenella. Forest had greater ant diversity compared with fallows and mixed‐crop fields. Functional groups were dominated by Opportunists, followed by Omnivorous Arboreal Dominants and Generalized Mymicinae. Their composition was not affected by the disturbance, but occurrence of Specialist Predators decreased with increasing disturbance. Occurrence of Generalized Myrmicinae, Opportunists and Subordinate Camponotini increased with disturbance. These results indicate that forest conversion into mixed‐crop fields reduce ant diversity. It can also increase abundance of species with generalized diet that predominates where stress and disturbance limits other ants.     

No general edge effects for invertebrates at Afromontane forest/grassland ecotones

The Afromontane region of South Africa is characterised by numerous small, remnant forests in a grassland matrix. The edges, or ecotones between forests and grasslands are usually sharp (typically just over a few metres) and are mainly maintained by both natural and, more recently, anthropogenic fires. We investigated epigaeic amphipod, carabid and ant distribution patterns across Afromontane forest/grassland ecotones and found little evidence to support the biological edge effect. Five of the fifty-two sampled species however, did increase significantly in abundance at the ecotone. Among these was a very distinct edge species, the amphipod Talistroides africana. Overall, carabids were more abundant and species rich in forests while for ants it was in the grasslands. Ants and carabids were both more abundant and species rich in spring and summer than in autumn and winter. More interestingly, the abundance and species richness patterns across the ecotone did not change with the passing of the seasons. We argue that a conservation strategy for the Afromontane forest patches must also incorporate the surrounding grassland. The grassland habitat is often perceived as less valuable than forest and, as a consequence, is subject to many anthropogenic disturbances such as fragmentation, cattle grazing and afforestation. Protecting grasslands around forest patches not only conserves the rich ant diversity, but also conserves the biota in the forests and at the edges, and would therefore be more meaningful in terms of the overall conservation of Afromontane biodiversity.     

The aggregative numerical response of polyphagous predators to aphids in cereal fields: attraction to what?

We tested in a field experiment two hypotheses for why polyphagous predators aggregate at concentrations of aphids: 1) because they are attracted directly to aphids as prey, or 2) because they are attracted to alternative prey that aggregate around the honeydew produced by aphids. Small plots were established in the field with two experimental treatments, aphid addition and honey spraying, and a watersprayed control, each replicated 10 times. Arthropods were recorded by pitfall traps and sticky traps in each plot. Diptera were significantly more abundant in the honey plots. Of the predators, Agonum dorsale, “All carabids” and Philonthus sp. were most abundant in the honey plots; Tachyporus spp. and carabid and staphylinid larvae were most abundant in the aphid addition plots. It is suggested that these results reflect differences among the predators in their ability to tolerate and utilise aphids as food.     

Leaf litter and the small-scale distribution of carabid beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in the boreal forest

Management practices favoring conifers at the expense of deciduous tree species, and the eradication of deciduous trees, especially aspen Populus tremula , from managed forests have resulted in population declines in several species in Fennoscandia. In addition to species depending on decaying wood of deciduous trees, earlier evidence suggests that leaf litter, especially that of aspen, is favored by many carabid species. We ran a four-year experiment in order to compare carabid assemblages of unchanged forest floor with artificially created leaf-litter plots in central Finland. A total of 18 plots (5 m in diameter) were established in three forest stands without aspen a few kilometers apart. Each stand had 3 litter plots (litter added) and 3 control plots, Pre-treatment samples were compared with those collected alter litter addition.
The litter addition affected the carabid-assemblage structure by increasing the catches of some species and decreasing the catch of one species. The number of carabid species was similar in control and litter plots. The litter effect was smaller than variation among forest stands and year-lo-year fluctuations. There was a strong temporal constancy among the plots: 'rich' plots remained 'rich' from year to year and similarly, 'poor' plots remained 'poor'.
The significant influence of leaf litter on carabid abundance can be attributable to both abiotic factors (microenvironmental conditions, especially humidity and temperature), and biotic ones (changes in niche structure, improved food supply). Leal litter seems to have an effect on carabid distribution patterns, and deciduous trees scattered among conifers are likely to be of importance on carabid fauna in boreal forests.     

Amphibian communities along a forest degradation gradient in an East African forest reserve

The amphibian communities in Africa's tropical forests are of global conservation importance, but disturbances derived from anthropological activities threaten to dismantle this irreplaceable diversity. We explored the impacts of forest degradation on the amphibian community in Mabira Central Forest Reserve, Uganda. We sampled amphibians from March to July of 2015 in plots that were positioned along a gradient of forest degradation. We conducted visual encounter surveys across three categories of forest degradation with six 300-m transects in each (four surveys per transect). From 216 h of surveyor effort, we detected 3563 individual frogs representing 30 species from eight families and 13 genera. Hyperoliidae was the most diverse family represented by 13 species in four genera. Hyperolius had the highest number of species (nine) followed by four genera each represented by three species (Phrynobatrachus, Pytchadena, Leptopelis, and Sclerophrys). Comparisons among plots along a gradient of forest degradation revealed differences in species richness, composition, and frequency of encounters. The regenerating and degraded forest plots were similar in species composition to each other and were dominated by mostly widespread, open-canopy species. Several forest-dependent species were recorded in both the regenerating and mature forest plots but were absent from the degraded plots. In the regenerating and mature forests, species presence was significantly associated with high canopy cover, high relative humidity, and dense leaf litter, whereas the microhabitat variables of high grass cover and high temperature were most influential in the degraded forests. Our study provides important data on an Afrotropical amphibian community and suggests that forest degradation has dramatically altered the habitat to the detriment of forest specialist species.     

A comparison of the responses of two tropical specialist herbivores to host plant patch size

Summary The effects of host plant patch size on the abundances of two specialist herbivores (the chrysomelid beetle, Acalymma innubum and the pentatomid bug, Piezosternum subulatum) were investigated in a natural forest community in the Virgin Islands. Abundances were compared early and late in the season in different sized patches of the cucurbit host plant (Cayaponia americana) growing in open habitat (with no surrounding plant community) and forest habitat (with diverse surrounding plant community). For both herbivore species, adult abundances per patch were positively correlated with patch leaf area, but there was a significant patch size effect (i.e., correlation between herbivore density per unit plant and patch leaf area) only for beetles in the forest habitat. Both herbivore species were significantly affected by surrounding plant diversity, but in opposite ways: beetles were more abundant in open patches whereas bugs were more abundant in forest patches. Relationships between abundance and patch size in open and forest patches changed through the season for both herbivore species. These changing abundance patterns are discussed with respect to (1) increases in the diversity of the plant community surrounding host plant patches, and (2) differences in herbivore movement patterns.     

Importance of semi-natural habitats for the conservation of butterfly communities in landscapes dominated by pine plantations

While the area of plantation forests continues to increase worldwide, their contribution to the conservation of biodiversity is still controversial. There is a particular concern on the central role played by natural habitat remnants embedded within the plantation matrix in conserving species-rich insect communities. We surveyed butterflies in maritime pine plantation landscapes in south-western France in 83 plots belonging to seven habitat types (five successional stages of pine stands, native deciduous woodlands and herbaceous firebreaks). The effect of plot, habitat and landscape attributes on butterfly species richness, community composition and individual species were analysed with a General Linear Model (GLM), partial Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) and the IndVal method. The most important factors determining butterfly diversity and community composition were the presence of semi-natural habitats (deciduous woodlands and firebreaks) at the landscape scale and the composition of understorey vegetation at the plot scale. Pure effects of plot variables explained the largest part of community variation (12.8%), but landscape factors explained an additional, independent part (6.7%). Firebreaks were characterized by a higher species richness and both firebreaks and deciduous woodlands harboured species not or rarely found in pine stands. Despite the forest-dominated landscape, typical forest butterflies were rare and mainly found in the deciduous woodlands. Threatened species, such as Coenonympha oedippus and Euphydryas aurinia, were found in pine stands and in firebreaks, but were more abundant in the latter. In the studied plantation forest, the conservation of butterflies depends mainly on the preservation of semi-natural habitats, an adequate understorey management and the maintenance of soil moisture levels.