Grazing history influences biodiversity: a case study on ground-dwelling arachnids (Arachnida: Araneae, Opiliones) in the Natural Park of Alpi Marittime (NW Italy)

Abstract

A paucity of genetic information and the drastic decline in population size of the beetle Cerambyx cerdo has made this species a high priority for research and conservation management. The state-listed beetle, a saproxylic insect associated with oaks, has a discontinuous range, with larger and more connected populations in southern Europe and small and isolated populations in the continent's central and northern parts. Here, we used seven microsatellite loci and one DNA fragment of the mitochondrial gene COI to examine the population structure, genetic diversity, and contemporary gene flow between two Polish populations of the beetle. A population viability analysis summarizing collected genetic data as well as field records and species-specific information was performed to investigate the probability of the populations' persistence over 20 years under different simulation scenarios. Genetic drift due to spatial isolation and bottleneck(s) is probably a major evolutionary force responsible for a low number of haplotypes and lower gene diversity in these populations as compared to the neighboring Czech populations. Despite a large geographic distance between the Polish populations, genetic differentiation between them was low, which could reflect shared ancestral polymorphism and stochasticity of retained alleles rather than the homogenizing effect of gene flow. Differences among probabilities of extinction over 20 years were detected between populations, and, in the worst-case scenarios, one population will disappear within four generations. Conservation efforts must focus on supplementation, habitat restoration, and post-release monitoring. The results of our study provided information that can be incorporated into future management actions to aid in the conservation of the beetle.

Response of ground-dwelling harvestman assemblages (Arachnida: Opiliones) to European beech forest canopy cover

“…Despite being statistically insignifi cant (P = 0.119), the abundance based on the number of individuals trapped was more than two-times greater in open canopy than in closed canopy forests. Even though the denser, higher and structurally more diverse understory vegetation in the stands with an open canopy might have prevented animals from falling into the pitfall traps (see Paschetta et al, 2013), more specimens were trapped in the plots with an open canopy.…”

Rodents in grassland habitats: does livestock grazing matter? A comparison of two Alpine sites with different grazing histories

“…The AtBI project aims at identifying all living species that exist within a given area, but also promotes the monitoring and study of the factors affecting biodiversity conservation (Deharveng et al 2015;Villemant et al 2015, this issue). The European Distributed Institute of taxonomy (EDIt) stimulated the first European AtBI+M in the Alpi Marittime and Mercantour Natural Parks, where the critical situation of several pastures lead us to set ecological studies to evaluate the influence of grazing history on biodiversity, using also other taxa as key groups (e.g., Paschetta et al 2013).…”

Factors Affecting Red-Legged PartridgeAlectoris rufaAbundance on Big-Game Hunting Estates: Implications for Management and Conservation

“…Five sampling points were established on each of the nine estates and two pitfall traps were placed at each one (90 pitfalls in total). The pitfall traps were buried at ground level and consisted of plastic receptacles with a capacity of 0.75 litres and an opening diameter of 12 cm (Paschetta et al, 2013). They were half-filled with a solution of salts (to preserve the specimens caught) and soap (to break the water surface tension).…”