Postfire Succession of Saproxylic Arthropods, with Emphasis on Coleoptera, in the North Boreal Forest of Quebec

Abstract

Saproxylic succession in fire-killed black spruce [Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.] coarse woody debris (CWD) in northern Quebec is estimated in this study using a 29-yr postfire chronosequence. Sampling was performed using both trunk-window traps and rearing from snag and log sections. A total of 37,312 arthropods (>220 taxa) were collected from both sampling methods. Two distinct colonization waves were identified. The onset of initial colonization occurs the year of the fire, whereas the second colonization phase begins only once debris falls to the ground. The initial colonization step is influenced by fire-associated species including subcortical predators, xylophages, and ascomycetes feeders. Abundance of most early colonizer species decline with time since fire with the disappearance of subcortical habitat. No noticeable species turnover occurred in snags thereafter. Lack of succession in snags is related to very low decomposition rates for postfire CWD because this substrate is unsuitable for species associated with highly decayed wood. Snag falling triggers fungal growth and concomitant saproxylic succession toward micro- and saprophagous species and increases accessibility for soil-dwelling organisms. Because the position of woody debris greatly influences overall physical properties of dead wood, the fall of burned CWD plays a major role in saproxylic community shift after fire.

Habitat associations of saproxylic beetles in the southeastern United States: A comparison of forest types, tree species and wood postures

“…4). These differences are consistent with previous studies (Jonsell and Weslien, 2003;Gibb et al, 2006;McGeoch et al, 2007;Hjä lté n et al, 2007;Franc, 2007) and probably widen with time, particularly as the snags become dry following bark loss (Boulanger and Sirois, 2007).…”

“…Snags become increasingly drier than logs with time and, as a consequence, likely become less suitable to many saproxylic organisms. This was demonstrated by Boulanger and Sirois (2007) in a study of post-fire succession in Canada. The researchers found an absence of beetle succession on black spruce snags following bark loss.…”

Effects of habitat characteristics and interspecific interactions on co-occurrence patterns of saproxylic beetles breeding in tree boles after forest fire: null model analyses

“…We sampled the 72 sites in early June 2006, 1 year after the Wre, when initial colonization or attack by saproxylic beetles was achieved naturally (Boulanger and Sirois 2007). In each site, we cut Wve trees, and we retrieved a 50-cm bole section centered on the dbh of the felled trees.…”

“…Saproxylic beetles, which include an array of species that feed directly on the bark/wood of dead and dying trees and their predators (Grove 2002), are known to colonize or attack recently burned boreal forests where they Wnd plenty of sustenance (McCullough et al 1998;Saint-Germain et al 2004b;Boulanger et al 2010). The early colonizing saproxylics are attracted to burned forests essentially to make use of the recently Wre-killed trees as breeding substrates (Boulanger and Sirois 2007;Boulanger et al 2010). These assemblages of free-Xying adults (e.g., sampled by window traps) during the early post-Wre period are thought to be a random pool of species determined by stochastic immigration rather than direct interactive processes among the species (McCullough et al 1998).…”

Application of Semiochemicals to Assess the Biodiversity of Subcortical Insects following an Ecosystem Disturbance in a Sub-boreal Forest

“…In our study, the decline following the disturbances may have occurred on an even shorter time scale. In black spruce, Picea mariana, stands in Quebec, Boulanger and Sirois (2007) described two phases of subcortical insect colonization of trees after burning. The first phase occurs shortly (up to 1 year) after tree death from the fire.…”