Conservation of Heathland Ground Beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae): The Value of Lowland Coniferous Plantations

Abstract

The value of conifer-dominated plantation forestry for heathland carabids is examined, in Breckland, eastern England. Historically dominated by heathland habitats supporting scarce species of restricted distribution within the UK, approximately 47% of Breckland was afforested in the early 20th century. The carabid fauna of this forest, previously little known, was sampled by intensive pitfall trapping, and results compared to samples from heathland and arable. The results affirm that Breckland supports many range-restricted carabid beetles, including scarce species restricted to lowland heathland or sandy habitats. Approximately half of the heathland-associated species, and also half of the Nationally Scarce carabid species recorded in Breckland, were found within the forest landscape. Carabid species composition differed between closed-canopy forest, heathland and arable, while open forest habitats (clear-felled stands, young restocked stands, and track margins) contained a diverse fauna with elements from all habitats. The proportion of heathland-associated species was significantly greater in open forest habitats than in closed-canopy forest and was similar to that of heathland assemblages. Wing morphology did not differ between heathland species solely recorded from heathland and those also recorded in the forest. Nationally Scarce species from the forest had a wider UK distribution than those recorded only from heathland. Our study shows that, within conifer forest planted in lowland heathland areas, open habitats provided by trackway networks and clear-felling management can have significant value for the conservation of open-ground carabids, including species of conservation importance.

Sequential Activation and Inactivation of Dishevelled in the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway by Casein Kinases

“…However, overexpressed CK1⑀ could be also found in association with all other mutants tested, with the exception of the extreme C terminus (mutant aa 496 -716). Our results confirm previous findings that map the binding domains of CK1 to the DEP domain or its close proximity (compare aa 332-716 and 496 -716 mutants and Kishida et al (19)) and to the basic region preceding the PDZ domain (see mutant aa 1-246 and Klein et al (33) and Klimowski et al (34)). Endogenous CK2␣ could be co-immunoprecipitated with all the mutants of Dvl3, which contained a basic region between the DIX and PDZ domains,.…”

Forest management effects on carabid beetle communities in coniferous and broadleaved forests: implications for conservation

“…Whereas Butterfield et al . (1995) found open‐habitat sites of upland conifer plantations lacked rarer species associated with open moorland and grassland, Lin et al . (2007) found lowland conifer‐dominated forest on a heathland site supported a diverse assemblage of psammophilous, heathland‐ and dry grassland associated carabids that included nationally scarce species of conservation importance.…”

The effect of topsoil removal in restored heathland on soil fauna, topsoil microstructure, and cellulose decomposition: implications for ecosystem restoration

“…Heathland is a traditional habitat in Western Europe (De Smidt 1979;Webb 1998) and parts of Northern America (Oberndorfer and Lundholm 2009) with very characteristic plants and animals (Delettre et al 2008;Lin et al 2007;Maes et al 2003;Telfer and Eversham 1996). In most countries, the present area covered with this vegetation type is only a fraction of the area covered around 1900 (Härdtle et al 2009), and heathland is now considered an EU priority habitat for conservation.…”