Testing predictions of beetle community patterns derived empirically using remote sensing

Abstract

ABSTRACTPatterns generated from ecological surveys are rarely tested in similar habitats to assess the accuracy of predictions. Testing empirically derived predictions provides a strong tool for establishing the consistency of general patterns in ecology. We test the consistency of beetle community associations with habitat complexity in open canopy forests and make both community and morphospecies‐level comparisons with results from a previous study. We use Normalized Difference Vegetation Indices (NDVIs) from remote sensing as a surrogate for habitat complexity. The positive relationships between NDVIs and site‐based beetle species richness and abundance were consistent in open canopy forests both south and north of Sydney, Australia. NDVIs were also useful for predicting differences in beetle composition in open canopy forests. Taxon‐specific responses to NDVI differences in ‘southern forests’ were very similar to responses in ‘northern forests’, most likely reflecting beetle trophic roles. This study shows that NDVIs can be used as rapid biodiversity indicators, when integrated with identified faunal responses to vegetation structure, provided that the lower vegetation strata may be measured by remote sensing.