Abstract
Carabid beetles were sampled at five sites, ranging from 1500 m to 3400 m, along a 15 km transect in the cloud forest of Manu National Park, Perú. Seasonal collections during a one year period yielded 77 morphospecies, of which 60% are projected to be undescribed species. There was a significant negative correlation between species richness and altitude, with the number of carabid species declining at the rate of one species for each 100 m increase in altitude. The majority of species (70.1 %) were restricted to only one altitudinal site and no species was found at more than three of the five altitudinal sites. Only one genus, Pelmatellus (Tribe Harpalini), was found at all five sites. Active (hand) collections yielded approximately twice as many species per individuals collected than passive (pitfall trap) collections. This study is the first systematic sampling ofcarabid beetles of a high altitude gradient in the cloud forests of southeastern Perú and supports the need to conserve the zone of extremely high biodiversity present on the eastern slopes of the Peruvian Andes.
Highlights
Tropical forests may support up to 80 percent of the world’s biodiversity (Erwin 1996)
Carabid beetles were sampled at five sites, ranging from 1500 m to 3400 m, along a 15 km transect in the cloud forest of Manu National Park, Perú
This study is the first systematic sampling of carabid beetles of a high altitude gradient in the cloud forests of southeastern Perú and supports the need to conserve the zone of extremely high biodiversity present on the eastern slopes of the Peruvian Andes
Summary
Tropical forests may support up to 80 percent of the world’s biodiversity (Erwin 1996). In tropical montane cloud forests, moisture from the lowland forest rises and cools, Copyright Sarah A. Most high altitude tropical forests of the new world, including those found in the Andes Mountains, are dominated by cloud forests which support high levels of endemism and insularity (Schonberg et al 2004). In the Andes Mountains of Perú, cloud forests generally exist at approximately 2000 to 3500 m (Kricher 1997) but can be locally variable, occurring as low as 1500 m in certain areas such as the K’osnipata Valley in southeastern Perú, the location of this study
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
