Carabid beetles among grassland — forest edge — beech forest habitats in Northern Hungary

Abstract

Ground beetles were studied among grassland — forest edge — beech forest habitats in Hungary, using pitfall traps. We hypothesised that the activity density and species richness of carabids were the highest in the forest edge, the activity density and the number of forest species were decreasing, while the activity density and the number of generalist species increasing from the forest towards the grassland. Carabid assemblage of the grassland was the most diverse and the forest was the least diverse if measured by Renyi diversity. The average species richness per trap was significantly higher in the grassland and in the edge than in the forest. The number of forest species was significantly higher in the edge than elsewhere. The number of generalist species was highest in the grassland and decreased towards the forest. The activity density of carabids was significantly higher in the forest and in the forest edge than in the grassland. The activity density of forest species was higher in the forest and in the edge than in the grassland. The activity density of the generalist species was higher in the grassland than in the forest edge and in the forest. There were seven species characteristic to the grassland as identified by IndVal; two species were characteristic to the edge, and two species were characteristic both to the forest and the edge. We found that humidity was the highest in the forest; Pterostichus oblongopunctatus and Molops piceus were associated with the forest habitat, while Abax ater and Pterostichus melanarius were associated with the forest edge according to the RDA. The the shrub cover was the most relevant factor in the edge; Abax ater and Pterostichus melanarius were associated with this habitat.