Large‐scale α‐diversity patterns in plants and ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) indicate a high biodiversity conservation value of China's restored temperate forest landscapes

Zou, Yi; Sang, Weiguo; Bai, Fan; Brennan, Ewan; Diekman, Maryse; Liu, Yunhui; Li, Liangtao; Marples, Alice; Shi, Hongliang; Sui, Zhongzhou; Sun, Xiaojie; Wang, Changliu; Wang, Xin; Warren‐Thomas, Eleanor; Yang, Xin; Yu, Zhenrong; Axmacher, Jan C.

doi:10.1111/ddi.12964

Cited by 18 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 82 publications

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“…In 150 managed forest stands across Germany, ground beetle species richness and the richness and abundance of rove beetles were positively related to overall vascular plant diversity [67]. In northeast China, positive correlations between woody plant and ground beetle species richness occurred only in mature, but not in younger secondary forests [68], highlighting that forest age and subsequent successional changes in structural properties can moderate the "enemies" hypothesis. In contrast, abundance and species richness of ground and rove beetles did not differ consistently between monocultures and two-species mixtures in plantation forests in Ireland ( [42,43], see also [69] for similar results).…”

Section: Predatory Beetlesmentioning

confidence: 97%

The Influence of Tree Diversity on Natural Enemies—a Review of the “Enemies” Hypothesis in Forests

Staab

Schuldt

2020

Curr Forestry Rep

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Purpose of Review Natural enemies are an important component for forest functioning. By consuming herbivores, they can be effective top-down regulators of potential pest species. Tree mixtures are generally expected to have larger predator and parasitoid populations compared to monocultures. This assumption is based on the “enemies” hypothesis, a classical ecological concept predicting a positive relationship between plant diversity (and complexity) and natural enemies, which, in turn, should increase top-down control in more diverse environments. However, the “enemies” hypothesis has mostly been tested and supported in relatively simple agricultural ecosystems. Until recently, research in forests was sparse. We summarize the upcoming knowledge-base for forests and identify forest characteristics likely shaping relationships between tree diversity, natural enemies (abundance, species richness, diversity), and top-down control. We further identify possible implications for mixed species forestry and key knowledge gaps. Recent Findings Tree diversity (almost exclusively quantified as tree species richness) does not consistently increase enemy abundance, diversity, or result in herbivore control. Tests of the “enemies” hypothesis are largely based on aboveground natural enemies (mainly generalists) and have highly variable outcomes across taxa and study systems, sometimes even finding a decrease in predator diversity with increasing tree diversity. Recurrent effects of tree species identity and composition indicate that a closer focus on tree functional and phylogenetic diversity might help to foster a mechanistic understanding of the specific circumstances under which tree diversity can promote top-down control. Summary Our review suggests that the “enemies” hypothesis may not unambiguously apply to forests. With trees as structurally complex organisms, even low-diversity forests can maintain a high degree of habitat heterogeneity and may provide niches for many predator and parasitoid species, possibly blurring correlations between tree and natural enemy diversity. Several further factors, such as latitude, identity effects, intraguild predation, or functional and phylogenetic components of biodiversity, may confound the predictions of the “enemies” hypothesis. We identify topics needing more research to fully understand under which conditions tree diversity increases natural enemy diversity and top-down control—knowledge that will be crucial for forest management.

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Section: Predatory Beetlesmentioning

confidence: 97%

The Influence of Tree Diversity on Natural Enemies—a Review of the “Enemies” Hypothesis in Forests

Staab

Schuldt

2020

Curr Forestry Rep

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“…The positive relationship between woody plant and ground beetle diversity found by Zou et al (2019) is limited to mature forests in a study area in temperate China. For secondary forests, no correlation was found, which the authors attributed to the lower forest age.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 78%

“…Nonetheless, with increasing diversity of an ecosystem, mixed results are often obtained. For example, some studies postulate positive relationships between plant diversity and ground beetles, while other studies show no or negative relationships ( Vehvilainen et al 2008 ; Worthen and Merriman 2013 ; Yeeles et al 2017 ; Zou et al 2019 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What shapes ground beetle assemblages in a tree species-rich subtropical forest?

Zumstein

Bruelheide

Fichtner

et al. 2021

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As woody plants provide much of the trophic basis for food webs in forests their species richness, but also stand age and numerous further variables such as vegetation structure, soil properties and elevation can shape assemblages of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae). However, the combined impact of these numerous variables on ground beetle diversity and community structure has rarely been studied simultaneously. Therefore, ground beetles were studied in 27 plots in a highly diverse and structurally heterogeneous subtropical forest ecosystem, the Gutianshan National Park (southeast China) using pitfall traps and flight interception traps. Both trapping methods collected partly overlapping species spectra. The arboreal fauna was dominated by lebiines and to a smaller extent by tiger beetles and platynines; the epigeic fauna comprised mostly representatives of the genus Carabus and numerous tribes, especially anisodactylines, pterostichines, and sphodrines. Ground beetle species richness, abundance, and biomass of the pitfall trap catches were analyzed with generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs), fitted with seven environmental variables. Four of these variables influenced the ground beetle assemblages: Canopy cover, herb cover, pH-value of the topsoil and elevation. Contrary to our expectations, woody plant species richness and stand age did not significantly affect ground beetle assemblages. Thus, ground beetles seem to respond differently to environmental variables than ants and spiders, two other predominantly predatory arthropod groups that were studied on the same plots in our study area and which showed distinct relationships with woody plant richness. Our results highlight the need to study a wider range of taxa to achieve a better understanding of how environmental changes affect species assemblages and their functioning in forest ecosystems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

“…We found that anthropogenic factors had a positive effect on tree species richness in the MTF of northeastern China (Figures 3 and 6). This finding suggests that regional afforestation and natural forest protection measures may have effectively maintained and even increased tree species diversity in this region (Zou et al, 2019). In addition, the negative effect of roadless areas on tree species richness suggests that road access can increase tree species richness by facilitating the propagation of invasive species (Joly et al, 2011; Riitters et al, 2018), and through forest management activities, including harvesting and artificial plantation of non‐native species (Bremer & Farley, 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Understanding patterns and potential drivers of forest diversity in northeastern China using machine‐learning algorithms

Luo

Zhang

Zhao

et al. 2021

J Vegetation Science

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Question: Forest ecosystems are the most important global repositories of terrestrial biodiversity. The mixed temperate forests in northeastern China constitute one of the most biodiverse temperate regions globally and provide nearly one-third of China's wood supply. We ask what are the spatial patterns and potential drivers of tree species diversity in mixed temperate forests.Location: Temperate, mixed forests of northeastern China.Methods: Using a large set of ground-source forest inventory data (FIN) and geospatial covariates derived from published raster layers, we compared different machinelearning and statistical models to study spatial patterns of tree species diversity and their underpinning drivers. Results:The spatial distribution of tree species diversity (species richness and evenness) varied greatly across northeastern China. Tree species diversity varied most with climatic (annual precipitation and annual mean temperature), topographic (elevation and slope), and anthropogenic factors. Anthropogenic factors affected tree species evenness (importance value = 13%) more than tree species richness (importance value = 9%). Based on these relationships, we mapped spatial patterns of tree diversity throughout the region at a 1 km × 1 km resolution. Conclusions:Our findings shed light on the processes behind community assembly and biodiversity patterns in mixed temperate forests in northeastern China, and provide a benchmark for future assessment of biodiversity. Our high-resolution tree species diversity maps can be useful to landowners and land management agencies in their decision-making processes about sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation, and forest restoration -a priority task outlined by the recently implemented 2050 China National Forest Management Plan.

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Large‐scale α‐diversity patterns in plants and ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) indicate a high biodiversity conservation value of China's restored temperate forest landscapes

Cited by 18 publications

References 82 publications

The Influence of Tree Diversity on Natural Enemies—a Review of the “Enemies” Hypothesis in Forests

The Influence of Tree Diversity on Natural Enemies—a Review of the “Enemies” Hypothesis in Forests

What shapes ground beetle assemblages in a tree species-rich subtropical forest?

Understanding patterns and potential drivers of forest diversity in northeastern China using machine‐learning algorithms

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