Animals as an indicator of carbon sequestration and valuable landscapes

Jan Szyszko,Axel Schwerk,Jaroslaw Malczyk

doi:10.3897/zookeys.100.1547

Jan Szyszko, Axel Schwerk + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.100.1547

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Journal: ZooKeys	Publication Date: May 20, 2011
Citations: 8	License type: CC BY 3.0

Affiliation: Warsaw University of Life Sciences

Abstract

Possibilities of the assessment of a landscape with the use of succession development stages, monitored with the value of the Mean Individual Biomass (MIB) of carabid beetles and the occurrence of bird species are discussed on the basis of an example from Poland. Higher variability of the MIB value in space signifies a greater biodiversity. Apart from the variability of MIB, it is suggested to adopt the occurrence of the following animals as indicators, (in the order of importance), representing underlying valuable landscapes: black stork, lesser spotted eagle, white-tailed eagle, wolf, crane and white stork. The higher number of these species and their greater density indicate a higher value of the landscape for biodiversity and ecosystem services, especially carbon sequestration. All these indicators may be useful to assess measures for sustainable land use.

Highlights

As part of the ongoing discussion on the sustainable use of landscapes and ecosystem services we give here an overview on the relationship between biodiversity and carbon sequestration in forests as revealed by a long-term study in north-western Poland with particular reference to carabid beetle diversity
The created open areas are an excellent place for “landscape species”, i.e., species that need different succession stages in a wider landscape for establishment of their populations (Szyszko K. 2002, Skrok 2003). Such species breed for example in places of advanced stages of succession and hunt in open areas
The common buzzard and the majority of falconids are typical examples of such species. They nest in old trees in forests and hunt where visibility is good, i.e. in open areas or environmental systems of early successional stages, with low carbon content

Summary

Introduction

As part of the ongoing discussion on the sustainable use of landscapes and ecosystem services we give here an overview on the relationship between biodiversity and carbon sequestration in forests as revealed by a long-term study in north-western Poland with particular reference to carabid beetle diversity. Such disturbances create opportunities for species characteristic for early stages of succession, e.g., carabids species of open and low vegetation or the above mentioned butterflies, bumblebees and birds characteristic of open areas. These catastrophes destroy old stages of succession containing much carbon and create room for species characteristic of early successional stages (Fig. 2).

Results

Conclusion