Abstract
Carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) are considered as one of the most cardinal invertebrate predatory groups in many ecosystems, including forests. Previous studies revealed that the predation pressure provided by carabids significantly regulates the ecological network of invertebrates. Nevertheless, there is no direct estimation of the predation risk on carabids, which can be an important proxy for the phenomenon called ecological trap. In our study, we aimed to explore the predation pressure on carabids using 3D-printed decoys installed in two types of forestry treatments, preparation cuts and clear cuts, and control plots in a Hungarian oak–hornbeam forest. We estimated the seasonal, diurnal and treatment-specific aspects of the predation pressure on carabids. Our results reveal a significantly higher predation risk on carabids in both forestry treatments than in the control. Moreover, it was also higher in the nighttime than daytime. Contrarily, no effects of season and microhabitat features were found. Based on these clues we assume that habitats modified by forestry practices may act as an ecological trap for carabids. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of how ecological interactions between species may change in a modified forest environment.
Highlights
We revealed that 3D-printed decoys represent a suitable approach for testing predation pressure on large carabids, since predators interacted with them
The predation pressure on the exposed carabid decoys was higher at night than during the daytime, and it did not correlate with any microhabitat features, such as leaf litter or bush cover, as they are not important for predators of large carabids
Taking into account our previous findings on habitat utilization by large carabids [28], we suggest that both forestry treatments can act as an ecological trap for carabids, as these plots are used only temporarily and with a higher risk of mortality
Summary
Predation by various terrestrial animals can be one of the most important drivers of carabid evolution and, together with abiotic factors, determines their activity patterns [1]. carabids have various morphological and chemical defense mechanisms to avoid or reduce predation risk [2,3,4], they can shift their behavior in space and time by being active only in a certain part of the day or using different habitat patches than predators.Another option is to be hidden in the soil, under the leaf litter or understory vegetation.For instance, studies describing the activity patterns of some large carabid species reported relatively long periods of beetle inactivity between movements that can last even for a couple of days [5,6]. Carabids have various morphological and chemical defense mechanisms to avoid or reduce predation risk [2,3,4], they can shift their behavior in space and time by being active only in a certain part of the day or using different habitat patches than predators. Another option is to be hidden in the soil, under the leaf litter or understory vegetation. Elek et al [8] suggested that these periods when beetles are hidden and not moving could be a predator avoidance strategy
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