Abstract
The members of the genus Carabus are among the most intensively studied beetle taxa, but many aspects of their autecology are still unexplored. We aimed to study the relationship between measured abiotic parameters and the spatial and temporal distribution of signature carabid species. Carabus assemblages were sampled by pitfalls at six sites belonging to two nearby locations, both forest habitats: in valley and in hill-top position. The sites showed variation in microclimatic and soil characteristics, to which the seven species caught showed specific spatial associations. Carabus scheidleri and C. coriaceus were ubiquitists, occurring at all sites. The habitat specialist C. violaceus germari indicated valley sites with high humidity, lower temperature, limy soil and higher pH, whereas the other specialists, C. nemoralis and C. convexus were strongly associated with the dry, warm, more acidic hill habitat. Remaining species were associated with specific sites and environmental features. The species also exhibited specific phenological patterns corresponding with their habitat preference. Hill habitat species exhibited peak activity density during the hottest summer period, whereas most other species had an activity depression during that period. The results suggest that although Carabus activity density patterns are species specific, they are largely affected by temperature both spatially and temporally.
Highlights
Modelling the influence of environmental abiotic factors on ecosystem functioning can be a difficult task, the understanding of the abiotic drivers on biodiversity is the key to understand and predict the effects of climate change on species assemblages (De Laender et al 2016)
The first experiments dealing with the importance of abiotic factors influencing the activity of ground beetles date back to 1930’s (Turin et al 2003b), only a few papers deal with measured environmental factors affecting the otherwise relatively well studied genus Carabus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) (Cardenas and Hidalgo 2000; Kádár et al 2017; Park et al 2017)
We investigated the effects of microclimatic factors and soil parameters on the spatial distribution of seven Carabus species
Summary
Modelling the influence of environmental abiotic factors on ecosystem functioning can be a difficult task, the understanding of the abiotic drivers on biodiversity is the key to understand and predict the effects of climate change on species assemblages (De Laender et al 2016). In this regard, ground dwelling invertebrates are ideal model organisms. Members of the genus Carabus are large, often colourful, well studied members of the family Carabidae They are usually considered as polyphagous predators of snails, slugs, insects and earthworms (Hůrka 1996). Very little is known about the biology and ecology of larvae due to the low capture rates and the difficulties in rearing them in the laboratory (Assmann 2003)
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