Effects of habitat complexity on forest beetle diversity: do functional groups respond consistently?

Lassau, Scott A.; Hochuli, Dieter F.; Cassis, Gerasimos; Reid, Chris A. M.

doi:10.1111/j.1366-9516.2005.00124.x

Cited by 193 publications

(181 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…This suggests that each undisturbed habitat in the Ferret valley may be important for the conservation of certain dung beetle species. This is in accord with the idea that it is likely that a highly complex habitat may support more potential niches for a functionally diverse suite of species and a greater range of food webs than less complex habitats (Klopfer & MacArthur, 1960;Lassau et al, 2005). Tests conducted comparing a three-habitat scenario with a single-habitat scenario confirmed that the presence of numerous habitats is significantly associated with an increase in local dung beetle diversity.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 75%

The effect of local environmental heterogeneity on species diversity of alpine dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Negro¹,

Palestrini²,

Giraudo³

et al. 2011

Eur. J. Entomol.

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Abstract. The relative effects of two components of mountain environmental heterogeneity, altitude (1500, 1700 and 2000 m a.s.l.) and habitat (pastures, coniferous forests, wet meadows, scrub and anthropogenic woods) on the diversity of dung beetles in an Italian alpine valley were determined. The additive gamma diversity analysis indicated that differences among habitats (ßH) were always smaller than those among altitudes (ßA), irrespective of the measures used; it also showed that the contribution of ßA to -diversity was higher than expected by chance for all the measures of species diversity used, whereas the contribution of ßH was significantly higher in the case of one measure only. Generalized linear models confirmed that altitude was the most important factor associated with local diversity, with all the diversity parameters considered progressively and significantly increasing with increasing altitude. Indicator species analyses revealed that dung beetle altitudinal and habitat diversity patterns depended on local choice of species, with preferences for altitudinal levels being more numerous and apparent than those for habitats. Despite the minor effect of habitat differences, comparing a three-habitat with a single-habitat scenario it was possible to demonstrate that greater habitat heterogeneity is associated with a significantly greater diversity of dung beetles. This study suggests that preservation of local environmental heterogeneity by means of traditional pastoral activities should be encouraged as a means of conserving the diversity of dung beetle species in the Alps.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 75%

The effect of local environmental heterogeneity on species diversity of alpine dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Negro¹,

Palestrini²,

Giraudo³

et al. 2011

Eur. J. Entomol.

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“…Habitat permanence, habitat complexity, resource availability, and diversity increase with successional gradient (Brown 1985). Habitat complexity was a powerful predictor of the species richness and abundance of pitfalltrapped beetles (Lassau et al 2005). GardiForest 10: 376-382 380…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Shrub shading might be an important factor for their thermoregulation in the Mediterranean climate, characterized by hot and dry summer seasons. Middle and late successional stages dominated by shrubs and short trees might create optimal conditions for insect species, providing protection against adverse environmental conditions and predation, as well as greater levels of prey items (Lassau et al 2005). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term changes in surface-active beetle communities in a post-fire successional gradient in Pinus brutia forests

Kaynaş¹

2017

iForest

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Fire is one of the most important ecological factors for many ecosystem types. Since prehistoric times, synergistic effects of fires and humans have led to changes in Eastern Mediterranean ecosystems. The effects of fire on different trophic levels, particularly regarding plants, have been examined intensively in fire-induced ecosystems. In this study, we aimed to study long-term changes in beetle community structure after fire in Pinus brutia Ten. forests. Five sites burned in different years and a control site unburned for at least 50 years were selected. Beetle sampling was conducted using four pit-fall traps in each of four transects in three replication plots at every successional site and in two plots at the control site. Microhabitat variables related to vegetation structure and litter layer were recorded and associated with abundances of beetles and feeding groups. The results showed that total, wood-eating, and predator beetles showed a decreasing trend of abundance along the successional gradient after fire. In contrast to these groups, herbivores tended to increase towards the late successional stages. Middle and late successional stages were important in terms of species richness, species diversity and evenness of beetle communities and feeding groups. The characteristics of vegetation and litter layer changed with successional gradient, playing a decisive role in the structure of beetle communities at successional sites. According to the data presented here, a mosaic structure consisting of different successional stages is very important to sustain high species diversity in beetle communities.

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“…Furthermore, the soil is compacted and lacks humidity, which has promoted the disappearance of important taxa that were not present in MF such as beetles. This affected the functional processes of the ecosystem such as the reuse of matter, decomposition, herbivories feeding and predation, among others (Lassau, Hochuli, Cassis, & Reid, 2005).…”

Section: Pf Rfmentioning

confidence: 99%

The diversity of ant communities and its connections with other arthropod communities from three temperate forest of Central Mexico

Guzmán-Mendoza

Castaño-Meneses

Núñez-Palenius

2016

RBT

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Ants have been considered useful for bioindication because of their ecological characteristics. Nonetheless, among the characteristics of a bioindicator group, there must be a consistent and replicable response to disturbance. In this sense, divergent reactions have been found, even between taxons narrowly related. The objective of this work was to compare the diversity of the ant communities in three different temperate forests with different levels of disturbance, and to correlate their abundance and diversity of species, with that found in other arthropod communities of the same forests. The work was carried out in three municipalities in the North of the State of Mexico, where three types of different forests were identified by their degree of disturbance. These types include: 1) primary forest (PF), with typical species of a conserved forest; 2) mixed forest (MF), with species of a conserved forest and a reforestation effort; and 3) reforested forest (RF), with species used in reforestation efforts and indicative of disturbance. In each sample, an area of 2 500 m 2 was selected. Each area had 16 pitfalls apiece and they were placed 10 m away from each other. Samples were collected twice; one from February through March 2009 (dry season) and another from August through September 2010 (rainy season), which produced a total of 192 traps. Obtained specimens were identified at the most taxonomically specific level. All data captured was transformed to √n + 0.5 and diversity index levels of Shannon and Simpson were calculated, as well as richness of species for ants, beetles, grasshoppers, true bugs, and spiders. The values of richness, diversity, and abundance were correlated with the Pearson coefficient, and to evaluate possible causal relationships between these, a path analysis was performed. Results suggested an important influence of the site over ant communities, and values of richness, abundance and diversity were correlated with the communities of spiders, beetles, grasshoppers and true bugs, but not for all the sites studied. Responses to environmental changes are not only on the numeric proportions of abundance, richness and diversity, but also in the indirect and casual ecological interactions. Finally, the data seems to indicate that the responses of the ants to the environmental changes are not necessarily reflected on other organisms' communities, so the ants' role as bioindicators can be limited. Rev. Biol. Trop. 64 (2): 571-585. Epub 2016 June 01.

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Effects of habitat complexity on forest beetle diversity: do functional groups respond consistently?

Cited by 193 publications

References 51 publications

The effect of local environmental heterogeneity on species diversity of alpine dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

The effect of local environmental heterogeneity on species diversity of alpine dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Long-term changes in surface-active beetle communities in a post-fire successional gradient in Pinus brutia forests

The diversity of ant communities and its connections with other arthropod communities from three temperate forest of Central Mexico

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