Local and Landscape Drivers of Carabid Activity, Species Richness, and Traits in Urban Gardens in Coastal California.

Stacy M. Philpott,Kipling W. Will,Hamutahl Cohen,Peter Bichier,Claire Kirk,Monika H. Egerer,Simone Albuquerque

doi:10.3390/insects10040112

Stacy M. Philpott, Kipling W. Will + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/insects10040112

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Abstract

Urban ecosystems, as mosaics of residential, industrial, commercial, and agricultural land, present challenges for species survival due to impervious surface, degradation, fragmentation, and modification of natural habitat, pollution, and introduced species. Some urban habitats, such as community gardens, support biodiversity and promote ecosystem services. In gardens, local factors (e.g., vegetation, groundcover) and landscape surroundings (e.g., agriculture, built or impervious cover) may influence species abundance, richness, and functional traits that are present. We examined which local and landscape factors within 19 community gardens in the California central coast influence ground beetle (Carabidae) activity density, species richness, functional group richness, and functional traits—body size, wing morphology, and dispersal ability. Gardens with higher crop richness and that are surrounded by agricultural land had greater carabid activity density, while species and functional group richness did not respond to any local or landscape factor. Gardens with more leaf litter had lower carabid activity, and gardens with more leaf litter tended to have more larger carabids. Changes in local (floral abundance, ground cover) and landscape (urban land cover) factors also influenced the distribution of individuals with certain wing morphology and body size traits. Thus, both local and landscape factors influence the taxonomic and functional traits of carabid communities, with potential implications for pest control services that are provided by carabids.

Highlights

Impervious land cover, habitat degradation and modification, and fragmentation spur biodiversity loss within urban areas [1,2]
We found that gardens with greater crop species richness support a higher activity of carabids, and that large brachypterous beetles are affected by landscape surroundings
We examine carabid activity-density and composition, and we ask how functional traits relevant to pest control functions respond to these local and landscape drivers

Summary

Introduction

Impervious land cover, habitat degradation and modification, and fragmentation spur biodiversity loss within urban areas [1,2]. Depending on local or landscape characteristics, urban habitats may support taxonomically and functionally rich communities of arthropods [3,4] and associated ecosystem services. The relative importance of local and landscape drivers of urban biodiversity varies for different organisms, such as arthropods [5]. At the local habitat scale, arthropod abundance and species richness increase with plant richness and woody plant presence [6,7]. Natural vegetation cover enhances arthropod abundance and species richness [8,9,10]. Species life history and functional traits—phenotypes that affect ecosystem processes [15]—can determine how local and landscape scale changes in urban environments drive community formation [3,4]

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