Biodiversity functions of short rotation coppice stands - results of a meta study on ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

Ground Beetles (Carabidae) in the Short-Rotation Coppice Willow and Poplar Plants—Synergistic Benefits System

“…Harvesting can at least partially renew a habitat function for open-habitat species by creating favorable conditions for the development of the herbaceous plant. Creating fallow-like conditions, they can act as a refugium for short-lived, open habitat species, especially granivorous or polyphagous species for which older SRC have a limited conservation value [89,92]. The analyzed data showed that not fully established plantations are a habitat for a high abundance of seed-eating species, the number of which diminishes with the age of the plantation.…”

“…It was found that, in general, agricultural fields and forests were both characterized by greater species richness (estimated by the species number) than willow and poplar SRC [89]. However, it was noticed that the strictly quantitative indicator "species richness" (species numbers) is only weakly correlated with qualitative biodiversity targets such as rare and endangered or specialized species [89,96].…”

“…Wegner et al [88] hypothesized that longer rotations may favor "ubiquitous" versus "stenotopic" species in terms of anthropogenic influence being less flexible. Their research indicated that poplar plantations are the habitat preferred mainly by non-specialized species, whereas increased inflow of adaptable species is observed after the harvests and is connected with differences in the re-growth dynamics (steam sprouting is slower in older plantations, which have the characteristics of an open vegetation site during this period) [88,89]. This seems to corroborate the data from articles collected by Müller-Kroehling et al [89], indicating that in the majority of cases, only very young SRC in the establishment phase can provide an ephemeral pioneer habitat with a particular value for species protection [106].…”

“…Their research indicated that poplar plantations are the habitat preferred mainly by non-specialized species, whereas increased inflow of adaptable species is observed after the harvests and is connected with differences in the re-growth dynamics (steam sprouting is slower in older plantations, which have the characteristics of an open vegetation site during this period) [88,89]. This seems to corroborate the data from articles collected by Müller-Kroehling et al [89], indicating that in the majority of cases, only very young SRC in the establishment phase can provide an ephemeral pioneer habitat with a particular value for species protection [106]. Harvesting can at least partially renew a habitat function for open-habitat species by creating favorable conditions for the development of the herbaceous plant.…”

“…rufipes, Poecilus cupreus and P. versicolor, which are eurytopic, less specialized species. Furthermore, it was proven that there is a group of species which prefers openings and seams of SRC than strictly open habitats such as fields and grassland, particularly in highly impoverished landscapes with few ecotone habitats, as was shown for Carabus auratus [89]. Therefore, many authors found later rotations of SRC as having a lower biodiversity value, hence they were inhabited mostly by species assemblages dominated by common, eurytopic species [89,96].…”