The saproxylic beetle, Cucujus cinnaberinus, has received increasing research attention in Europe since the adoption of the Habitats Directive and establishment of the Natura 2000 network. The history of the species has been investigated as well as the influence of abiotic and biotic variables on the distribution of C. cinnaberinus in Slovenia which is at the limit of its range and also terra typica for the species. The species was first described in 1763 by Joannes A. Scopoli in Carniola, a duchy of the Habsburg Monarchy. Today, most of the territory of Carniola is situated within Slovenia. C. cinnaberinus is particularly common in the eastern part of the country, but very scarce in the mountainous western part. According to historical and recent distribution patterns of C. cinnaberinus in the former Carniolan territory, the region of Ribnica-Kočevje in southern Slovenia is proposed as the most probable type locality of the species. Although the bulk of the C. cinnaberinus population in Slovenia is confined to the lowlands, the species has been found up to 1095 m a.s.l., albeit at a much lower abundance due to the influence of climate and forest structure. Although C. cinnaberinus is a quite an opportunistic species regarding host tree selection, it has been shown to exhibit a preference for Tilia, Populus and Robinia. It is suspected that the high abundance of C. cinnaberinus in lowland floodplain forests is due to the recent human-induced increase in preferred fast-growing and shortlived host trees, i.e. the planting of poplar trees and spread of invasive Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) after the 1960s. In contrast, in montane forests, preferred host trees (e.g. Tilia) represent < 1 % of all growing stock. Although montane C. cinnaberinus populations are rare, they could still be important for the conservation of the species, since montane habitats cover the largest area within the species' distribution range.
A peer-reviewed open-access journalAl Vrezec et al. / Nature Conservation 19: 191-217 (2017) 192
In 2015, we used the same method as in the 1989-1996 period to count calling males of the Common Quail Coturnix coturnix in selected 1x1 km squares of Ljubljansko barje (central Slovenia). We counted 39 males, which is 87% less compared to the survey 20 years ago. Quails were found in 56% fewer squares. Since Quail populations are known to fluctuate greatly between years, we think that the most realistic long-term estimate for population decline would be somewhere between 50 to 90%. We detected that within only one week males stopped calling in some squares, while in others they began calling although they had not been detected there before, indicating possible relocations. This dynamics should be considered when designing a population monitoring protocol for the Quail.
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