Species Richness Of Beetles Research Articles

Renaissance of a rural artifact in a city with a million people: biodiversity responses to an agro-forestry restoration in a large urban traditional fruit orchard

The rural landscapes surrounding large cities are rapidly becoming incorporated into the urban environment. The most conspicuous changes involve green spaces, such as former agro-forestry systems like fruit orchards. In this paper, we assess the influence on biodiversity of restoring a large urban traditional fruit orchard as reflected by six selected taxa: plants, lichens, butterflies, beetles, orthopteroids and birds. The study was performed in Prague, which is the capital city of the Czech Republic and has more than a million inhabitants. We studied the effect of orchard renewal in 45 patches (15 for birds and 30 for other taxa). The majority of taxa responded positively to the restoration. The restoration had a significant positive effect on the species richness of lichens, butterflies and beetles. All taxa showed significantly altered species compositions, and the number of red-listed species increased. Orchards have a high potential for multi-functional use. Orchards are productive agro-forestry systems and host numerous possible human activities. Therefore, orchard restoration also has a social aspect. Moreover, our research in this artificial ecosystem revealed that its restoration increased the biodiversity and conservation potential of the associated areas.

Contrasting multi-taxa diversity patterns between abandoned and non-intensively managed forests in the southern Dolomites

Abstract: The abandonment of silvicultural activities can lead to changes in species richness and composition of biological communities, when compared to those found in managed forests. The aim of this study was to compare the multi-taxonomical diversity of two mature silver fir-beech-spruce forests in the southern Dolomites (Italy), corresponding to the European Union habitat type 9130. The two sites share similar ecological and structural characteristics, but differ in their recent management histories. In the last 50 years, one site underwent non-intensive management, while the other was left unmanaged and was included in a forest reserve. The species richness and composition of eight taxa were surveyed in the two sites between 2009 and 2011. The difference in mean species richness between the two forest management types was tested through permutation tests, while differences in species composition were tested by principal coordinates analysis and the permutational multivariate analysis of variance. Mean species richness of soil macrofungi, deadwood lichens, bark beetles, and longhorn beetles were significantly higher in the abandoned than in the non-intensively managed forests. Deadwood fungi and epiphytic lichens did not differ in mean species richness between the two study sites, while mean species richness of ground beetles and birds were higher in the non-intensively managed than in the abandoned forest. Significant differences in species composition between the two sites were found for all the taxa, except for longhorn beetles. These results indicate that improving forest landscape heterogeneity through the creation of a mosaic of abandoned and extensively managed forests should better fulfill the requirements of ecologically different taxa.

Localized Effects of Tornado Damage on Ground Beetle Communities and Vegetation in a Forested Preserve

ABSTRACT: Natural disturbances, such as tornados, can alter local habitat conditions and have the potential to affect animal communities in preserves. When such disturbances occur in natural areas, understanding these effects can help land managers develop responses and restoration actions following a disturbance. The effects of tornado and other strong wind damage on insect communities is poorly known even though insects comprise the majority of macroscopic diversity in terrestrial systems and are important contributors to ecosystem function. We examined ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) communities in spring, summer, and fall following an EF-4 tornado that struck a forested preserve in Illinois. We compared the communities and vegetation structure in plots that were affected or unaffected by the tornado. Sites within the tornado's path had reduced canopy cover but increased ground-level vegetation throughout the growing season. Beetle abundance and species richness were unaffected, but Shannon diver...

Impacts of management intensification on ground-dwelling beetles and spiders in semi-natural mountain grasslands

Agricultural intensification is one of the major threats to the biodiversity of montane and subalpine grasslands. This calls for regional agriculture policies that efficiently protect their flora and fauna without jeopardizing agricultural viability. We experimentally sought a sustainable management, testing the effects of fertilisation (slurry) and aerial irrigation (sprinklers) – separately and in combination (at different levels of intensity) – on the arthropod communities occurring in extensively-managed montane and subalpine meadows in the SW Swiss Alps. Four years after the start of the intensification experiment, we measured the abundance, species richness, community composition and variability (β-diversity) of ground-dwelling beetles and spiders. The abundance of both taxa showed a curvilinear relationship with management intensity. Spider abundance peaked at a moderate level of intensification while ground beetle abundance appeared to be more resilient to intensification, peaking at a high level of intensification. These responses were mainly driven by fertilisation, while irrigation played a minor role. For both taxa, we found no impact of irrigation or fertilisation, either when applied separately or in combination on species richness. Community composition was altered by management intensification in both taxa, but community variability was not. Given these taxon-specific patterns for abundance, applying organic fertiliser and water at levels corresponding to two-thirds of the quantity necessary to achieve local maximum hay yield appears to be compatible with the maintenance of rich ground-dwelling arthropod communities in mountain grasslands.

A comparison of diversity and composition of carabid beetles between overpasses and underpasses in fragmented forest areas

Wildlife crossing structures are important for increasing biodiversity of wildlife and other animals. Thus, the objective of this study was to compare the community structure of carabid beetles along environmental transects of forest–edge–crossing structures in fragmented forest areas. In addition, we also investigated whether there were differences in carabid beetle assemblages due to structural differences in crossing structures, i.e., overpass and underpass. A total of 3,737 carabid beetles belonging to 60 species were collected by pitfall trapping across environmental transects from June 6 to September 3, 2015. In crossing structures, environmental variables, such as soil texture, soil organic matters, and habitat structures were different from those in neighboring habitats. Abundance and species richness of carabid beetles in underpasses were significantly lower than those in neighboring habitats and overpasses. In particular, underpasses, especially those with more artificial structures in terms of soil properties and microhabitat, appeared to be less appropriate structures for movement of carabid beetles. Although less carabid beetle species were caught in crossing structures, species composition of carabid beetles were more similar to forest areas. In conclusion, efforts are needed to improve the connectivity of habitats and consider the needs of invertebrates by providing suitable microhabitats for wildlife crossing structures.

Trait-specific response of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) to forest fragmentation in the temperate region in Korea

The objective of this study was to examine the trait-specific response of ground beetles in terms of abundance, species richness, and composition for habitat fragmentation in temperate forests. In addition, we examined how different ecological groups and species of ground beetles responded to environmental variables. During middle May to early November in 2013, ground beetles were sampled using pitfall traps in 27 sites (18 patches and 9 continuous forests) in central Korea. A total of 51 species were identified from 17,845 ground beetles in the 27 study sites. Continuous forests had generally higher abundance and species richness of ground beetles than forest patches. Canonical correspondence analysis for ground beetles was significant, and the proportion of variance explained by environmental variables, such as patch size, elevation, organic matter (C), and soil moisture and pH, was 43.61%. In addition, species composition of ground beetles in continuous forests was grouped distinctively away from those in medium and small-sized patches. In conclusion, both small (1.1–9.6 ha) and medium patches (12.8–51.2 ha) were failed to preserve similar ground beetle biodiversity compared to continuous forests. However, our study revealed that medium-sized forest patches clearly had higher conservation value for forest specialist ground beetles than small-sized forest patches irrespective of forest type.

Investigating the biodiversity of the forest strata: The importance of vertical stratification to the activity and development of saproxylic beetles in managed temperate deciduous forests

Saproxylic beetles represent an important part of the chain of decay processes and are of high interest for understanding the main drivers of forest community succession.The main aims of this paper were to determine (i) the differences between communities of the crown and stem strata and (ii) the effect of fine vertical stratification within the studied strata on adult saproxylic beetle activity and the success of larval development.The study was performed over three years in mature oak-dominated managed forests in Poland. The activity and development of the beetles was evaluated based on sampling from 60 traps and 60 logs, respectively.In total, 11,237 individuals representing 364 species of saproxylic beetles were trapped and 388 individuals representing 38 species were reared. Compared with most previous studies, our results indicated that the majority of dependent variables (the species richness and abundance of saproxylic beetles and their functional groups, sub-guilds, and conservation-related and functional traits) revealed a significant preference for the crown, specifically the lower part. For example, predators searched for the transition zone between the crown and stem, which has a high prey density. The preferences of guild specialists and threatened species indicated that micro-habitats (e.g., hollows or fungi) are more frequent in the crown stratum than in the stem in managed forests, and the higher biomass of saproxylic beetles likely reflects the amount of energy produced in lower parts of crowns.Compared with that observed in previous studies, the opposite pattern of preference for crowns was likely related to the higher anthropogenic pressure in managed forests, which is an important insight that can inform the future management (e.g., biocontrol by natural enemies or conservation) of these forest types.

Fine‐scale drivers of beetle diversity are affected by vegetation context and agricultural history

AbstractEnvironmental gradients have been shown to affect animal diversity, but knowledge of fine‐scale drivers of insect diversity is, in many cases, poorly developed. We investigated the drivers of beetle diversity and composition at different microhabitats, and how this may be mediated by past agricultural activities. The study was undertaken in temperate eucalypt grassy woodland near Canberra, south‐eastern Australia, with a 200‐year history of pastoral land use. We sampled beetles using pitfall traps at three microhabitats (open grassland, logs and under trees). We analysed the effects of soil properties, vegetation structure, and plant composition on beetle composition, and compared beetle responses among the microhabitats. We found that microhabitat was a strong determinant of the way beetle communities responded to their environment. Soil nutrients (C, N and P) were the strongest drivers of beetle species richness, abundance and composition at open and log microhabitat, however vegetation structure (tree basal area) was more important for beetle richness, abundance and biomass under trees. We also found significant differences in beetle composition among distinct ground‐layer plant communities at log and tree microhabitat. We show that prior agricultural land use, particularly fertilization, has altered soil and plant communities, and that these effects continue to flow through the system affecting beetle assemblages. These findings have implications for future management of microhabitat structures in temperate grassy woodlands with a history of agricultural use.

How Guilds Build Success; Aspects of Temporal Resource Partitioning in a Warm, Temperate Climate Assemblage of Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae).

Succession in local dung beetle assemblages influences their delivery of ecological functions in natural and modified environments globally. Short-term changes in dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) species richness, abundance, and biomass were investigated in standardized dung pads in northern, coastal Turkey. For mean tunneling guild abundance, dung deposition time, dung exposure period, and their interaction were significant, and for mean dung dwelling guild abundance, dung exposure period was significant, as was the interaction with dung deposition time, which collectively evidenced temporal resource partitioning, based principally on differences in diel activity. Succession was highly compressed, with maximum abundance at 12 h and maximum species richness at 24 h. A large ball roller and small- to medium-sized tunnelers dominated different periods in the first 24 h but were superseded by dwellers. Regression analysis demonstrated a significant, positive relationship between species richness and the evenness of abundance for both dung deposition times. Correlation analysis generally showed strong, positive correlations between tunneling species, low correlations between tunneling and dwelling species, and low correlations between dwelling species. Niche partitioning based on size difference appears to have acted on the environmental filtering of tunneling species along the temporal gradient of declining moisture, thereby limiting the number of abundant, concurrent species. The aggregation of tunneling species provided opportunities for the less competitive dwelling species to occupy less densely populated zones termed probability refuges. The network of strong, positive habitat' correlations between tunneling species may indicate that their collective functionality is vulnerable to loss of efficiency if species are lost.

The role of livestock intensification and landscape structure in maintaining tropical biodiversity

Abstract As tropical cattle ranching continues to expand, successful conservation will require an improved understanding of the relative impacts of different livestock systems and landscape structure on biodiversity. Here, we provide the first empirical and multi‐scale assessment of the relative effects of livestock intensification and landscape structure on biodiversity in the threatened tropical dry forests of Mesoamerica. We used a dataset of dung beetles (169,372 individuals from 33 species) collected from 20 1‐km2 landscapes, ranging from zero‐yielding forest sites to high‐yield cattle ranches and maize farms, to investigate the relative effect of livestock intensification (net cattle production; macrocyclic lactone use; annual dung production) and landscape structure (landscape composition and configuration) at multiple spatial scales on different attributes of dung beetle communities using a multi‐model averaging approach. Dung beetle species richness, biomass and composition were more strongly related to landscape structure than to livestock intensification. Forest cover was the best predictor of dung beetle assemblages, being positively related to species diversity and biomass across multiple spatial scales. The use of macrocyclic lactones was strong and negatively related to dung beetle communities at the local scale. Synthesis and applications: Maximising forest protection through a “land sparing” strategy is likely to be the best strategy for reducing negative impacts of cattle farming on Neotropical dung beetle communities. However, increasing or maintaining yields while reducing agrochemical inputs will be important for conserving on‐farm biodiversity and the ecosystem services that dung beetles provide in livestock‐dominated landscapes.

Management of semi-natural grasslands benefiting both plant and insect diversity: The importance of heterogeneity and tradition

Abstract Biodiversity of semi-natural grasslands depends on the management practices used. However, management systems suitable for one taxon, such as plants, can be detrimental to other taxa, such as insects, and vice versa. This study attempts to support conservation management planning by clarifying the effects of different grassland management practices on species richness and species composition of vascular plants, butterflies, moths, orthopterans and ground beetles, also taking into account the effects of climate and the landscape context. The study was performed in the White Carpathians Protected Landcape Area and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (Czech Republic), which is famous for its grasslands with the globally highest fine-scale plant species richness. Different management practices (mowing, grazing, abandonment and mixed management; the latter including the previous three) were applied for at least five consecutive years at 34 sites, where plants and different insect groups were subsequently sampled. Effects of management on species richness of different taxonomic groups were assessed using generalised linear models, whereas the effects on species composition were assessed using redundancy analysis. Management influenced plant, butterfly and moth species richness, but the effects of particular management practices on all species and species of regional conservation importance differed between these taxonomic groups. Plant and moth species richness increased with mowing, but moth species richness decreased with grazing. Mixed management favoured plant and butterfly richness. Plant species composition was infuenced by mowing, grazing and mixed management while that of moths by mowing and grazing. Orthopterans and ground beetles did not respond significantly to management. Our results indicate that conservation management should comprise the traditional practices that have historically contributed to the formation of the biological diversity of the semi-natural grasslands in the study area. In particular, grazing may not be optimal for traditional hay-meadows and mowing should be carried out similarly as in pre-intensive farmland, creating spatio-temporal heterogeneity rather than uniformly cutting large grassland areas during a short period. In general, the optimal management should be heterogeneous, applying different practices in a mosaic or at different times during the season.

Coleoptera in the Altai Mountains (Mongolia): species richness and community patterns along an ecological gradient

The Altai Mountains located in western Mongolia comprise diverse habitats including forest, mountain steppe, dry steppe, semidesert, and desert. This study used advanced statistics to examine how diversity and species composition of beetle communities depend on vegetation pattern and environmental factors along an ecological gradient from steppe to desert. Our study included the beetle families Tenebrionidae, Carabidae, Curculionidae, and Coccinellidae, which account for the majority of the known beetle fauna in the area. The most abundant Coleoptera in all plots were Harpalus limbaris, Corsyra fusula, and Anatolica cellicola; otherwise, we caught a large number of rare species. The beta diversity of communities was correlated with distance between plots. Species richness of beetles was positively impacted by plant cover and correlated negatively with rising temperatures, whereas Shannon diversity of beetle communities was significantly higher in areas with higher precipitation. Distribution and community composition of Coleopterans were governed by environmental factors, especially plant diversity, mean annual temperature, and summer precipitation, as revealed by redundancy analysis.

Attractiveness of Scarabaeinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) to different baits in the Brazilian Amazon region

Dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) are considered essential for enhancing the physicochemical characteristics of soils, principally by changing organic materials (e.g. dead animals, faeces, fruits e leaf litter). This study compared the species richness and abundance of dung beetles captured using various types of baits, to demonstrate attractiveness differences in variable habitats of the Brazilian Amazon. Samplings were carried out with pitfall traps baited with human faeces, rotten banana, rotten meat and a non-baited trap, in February, March, June, September and October 2015. Habitats included native forests, agriculture areas, pastures and disturbed forests in different regeneration stages. A total of 13 736 Scarabaeinae beetles were captured, distributed over 98 species. Most individuals were captured using traps baited with faeces (76.7 % of individuals), followed by rotten meat baited traps (17.8 % of individuals), fermented banana baited traps (3.9 % of individuals) and finally by non-baited traps (1.6 % of individuals). A significant difference in attractiveness of the different baits used and habitats types was observed. Most of the captured assemblages were composed by coprophagous (42 %), generalist species (32 %), necrophagous (15 %) and none was classified as saprophagous. Approximately 54 % of the specimens were tunnelers, 25 % were rollers and 12 % were dwellers. The species of Scarabaeinae sampled in the region revealed qualitative and quantitative differences among their assemblages and the phytophysiognomies. The forest environments housed the greatest species richness observed, and a fraction of these is exclusive of those areas. We concluded that some species of Scarabaeinae have an important potential as disturbance indicators in the Amazonian ecosystem.

Attractiveness of Scarabaeinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) to different baits in the Brazilian Amazon region

Dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) are considered essential for enhancing the physicochemical characteristics of soils, principally by changing organic materials (e.g. dead animals, faeces, fruits e leaf litter). This study compared the species richness and abundance of dung beetles captured using various types of baits, to demonstrate attractiveness differences in variable habitats of the Brazilian Amazon. Samplings were carried out with pitfall traps baited with human faeces, rotten banana, rotten meat and a non-baited trap, in February, March, June, September and October 2015. Habitats included native forests, agriculture areas, pastures and disturbed forests in different regeneration stages. A total of 13 736 Scarabaeinae beetles were captured, distributed over 98 species. Most individuals were captured using traps baited with faeces (76.7 % of individuals), followed by rotten meat baited traps (17.8 % of individuals), fermented banana baited traps (3.9 % of individuals) and finally by non-baited traps (1.6 % of individuals). A significant difference in attractiveness of the different baits used and habitats types was observed. Most of the captured assemblages were composed by coprophagous (42 %), generalist species (32 %), necrophagous (15 %) and none was classified as saprophagous. Approximately 54 % of the specimens were tunnelers, 25 % were rollers and 12 % were dwellers. The species of Scarabaeinae sampled in the region revealed qualitative and quantitative differences among their assemblages and the phytophysiognomies. The forest environments housed the greatest species richness observed, and a fraction of these is exclusive of those areas. We concluded that some species of Scarabaeinae have an important potential as disturbance indicators in the Amazonian ecosystem.

Effect of dung beetle species richness and chemical perturbation on multiple ecosystem functions

1. The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning is typically positive but saturating, suggesting widespread functional redundancy within ecological communities. However, theory predicts that apparent redundancy can be reduced or removed when systems are perturbed, or when multifunctionality (the simultaneous delivery of multiple functions) is considered.2. Manipulative experiments were used to test whether higher levels of dung beetle species richness enhanced individual functions and multifunctionality, and whether these relationships were influenced by perturbation (in this case, non‐target exposure to the veterinary anthelmintic ivermectin). The four ecosystem functions tested were dung removal, primary productivity, soil faunal feeding activity and reduction in soil bulk density.3. For individual functions, perturbation had limited effects on functioning, with only dung removal significantly (negatively) affected. Species richness did not, on its own, explain significant variation in the delivery of individual functions. In the case of primary productivity, an interaction between richness and perturbation was found: species‐rich dung beetle assemblages enhanced forage growth in the unperturbed treatment, relative to the perturbed treatment.4. Using a composite ‘multifunctionality index’ it was found that species‐rich dung beetle assemblages delivered marginally higher levels of multifunctionality in unperturbed conditions; however, this benefit was lost under perturbation. Using a relatively new and robust method of assessing diversity–multifunctionality relationships across a range of thresholds, no significant effect of species richness on multifunctionality was found.

Effectiveness of local conservation management is affected by landscape properties: Species richness and composition of saproxylic beetles in boreal forest clearcuts

Landscape context is known to affect species diversity patterns and can even influence the effectiveness of local conservation management in agricultural landscapes. For other land uses, like forestry, landscape effects are poorly known. We aimed to determine whether landscape composition modifies the response of saproxylic beetle species to local habitat and conservation management, with focus on dead wood and prescribed fire, in managed boreal forest landscapes. We surveyed beetles on 32 clearcuts in central Sweden. We measured local (fire, dead wood, flower resources, patch size) and landscape factors (fire, dead wood within 1–2kmradius), and analysed interactions between these in mixed models. The response was species richness of beetles with different habitat specialization – conifer specialists, deciduous specialists, flower visitor and pyrophilous species, and abundance of a red-listed species, Tragosoma depsarium. Local and landscape factors, as well as interactions between them, affected species richness patterns. Prescribed fire and amount of dead wood, both on local and landscape scale, affected species richness and composition of several groups. There were interactions between local and landscape factors in five models out of six. Locally, we observed a positive response to flower richness for several groups, while the response to prescribed fire and dead wood amounts typically was affected by landscape factors. The results suggest that effectiveness of local conservation management is affected by landscape properties; the positive effects of local dead wood amounts and burning occurred on clearcuts in landscapes with large amounts of dead wood, but not in landscapes with small amounts of dead wood.

Abrupt species loss of the Amazonian dung beetle in pastures adjacent to species-rich forests

Anthropogenic disturbances, such as conversion of forests to pastures, are considered one of the major causes of Amazonian biodiversity loss. Pastures are hostile environments for forest species that are not adapted to the adverse conditions of open areas. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of forest replacement by cattle pastures in the north-eastern part of the Amazonian rainforest using dung beetles (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) as indicators. Therefore, we determined edge effects and differences in dung beetle species richness, composition, and abundance between forest and neighbouring cattle pastures. A total of 6723 individuals of 63 species of dung beetle were collected. In comparison to forests, adjacent pastures were sharply less rich and abundant in dung beetles. The forests had 6604 individuals and 59 species, while the pastures had 119 individuals and 12 species. The replacement of forests by pastures results in an increase of dung beetle species turnover. Only 12% of dung beetle species were shared by both forest and pasture environments. We highlight that most Amazonian dung beetles are forest species sensitive to abrupt human-driven modification of habitats and are only moderately affected by edge effects.

Impacts of contrasting conservation grazing management on plants and carabid beetles in upland calcareous grasslands

Abstract Calcareous grassland is among the most species rich and diverse habitat in Europe, but has faced decline due to agricultural intensification and abandonment. In recent years, conservation organisations have changed grazing practices in this habitat in an attempt to maintain characteristic vegetation. However, there has been little consideration of the effects of changes in grazing practices on invertebrate communities or their relationship with plant communities. This study determines the impacts of commonly used grazing practices in internationally rare upland calcareous grasslands on vegetation and on carabid beetles, a diverse group that is known to respond to environmental change. Typical conservation management regimes (light cattle grazing, light sheep grazing and ungrazed), established for over ten years, were examined in three regions of Britain. Carabid beetles were sampled using pitfall traps from late April – early September 2013 and per cent cover of plant species was recorded in 2 m × 2 m quadrats paired with pitfall traps sequentially throughout the sample period. Plant and beetle species composition differed significantly between regimes, as did plant species richness where ungrazed sites had significantly fewer species than sheep or cattle grazed sites. In contrast, beetle species richness did not differ by grazing type. Three beetle species were significantly associated with grazing management regimes: Carabus arvensis with light cattle grazing, and Carabus violaceaus and Synchus vivalis with light sheep grazing, the former two having undergone major population declines in the UK. Grazing regime affects both plant and carabid beetle communities and is important in supporting distinct species compositions as well as rare and declining species. Carabid beetles did not always respond in the same way as plants to grazing regime, suggesting that conservation managers should exercise caution when using plant species composition or broad measures of plant diversity to indicate biodiversity value, identify priority habitats or select grazing regimes to support a particular habitat condition.

Forest restoration as a double‐edged sword: the conflict between biodiversity conservation and pest control

Summary Forestry has markedly changed a large proportion of the world's boreal forests, often with negative effects on biodiversity. As a result, forest restoration is increasingly implemented to counteract the negative effects. However, restoration measures aimed at mimicking natural disturbance regimes could simultaneously increase the risk of unwanted negative effects, such as damage by forest pest species. This study compares the effect of two restoration methods (prescribed burning and gap‐cutting), on both biodiversity conservation and pest control, to provide a basis for solutions to this potential conflict. Bark beetles are ideal for studying this conflict, as this group is both species‐rich and contains notorious pest species. We conducted a unique, large‐scale field experiment in which we compared the effect of two different restoration methods on the abundance, species richness and assemblage composition of bark beetles. In addition, we estimated uncontrolled tree mortality by the number of trees that died post‐restoration. Beetles were divided in two groups, primary and secondary, the former with an ability to kill growing trees. Bark beetle diversity did not differ between treatment groups prior to restoration. However, after restoration, assemblage composition and primary bark beetle abundance differed between the treatments. Furthermore, species richness was higher in burned and gap‐cut stands compared to reference stands. The number of trees that died post‐restoration was highest on burned sites, whereas no difference was found between gap‐cut and reference stands. The number of dead trees was correlated with the number of primary beetles. Synthesis and applications. We demonstrate the potential for a conflict between forest restoration for biodiversity conservation and the potential risk for tree mortality caused by forest pests. This is likely to become a problem in many boreal forests; however, our results suggest that this conflict can be moderated by the choice of restoration method. The restoration method gap‐cutting had a similar positive impact on bark beetle species richness as compared to the burning method, but did not as burning, increase tree mortality. Thus, in areas where there is an apparent risk for pest outbreaks, our data suggest that gap‐cutting should be the chosen method to avoid an unwanted increase in tree mortality at the stand level.

Variegated tropical landscapes conserve diverse dung beetle communities.

BackgroundConserving biodiversity in tropical landscapes is a major challenge to scientists and conservationists. Current rates of deforestation, fragmentation, and land use intensification are producing variegated landscapes with undetermined values for the conservation of biological communities and ecosystem functioning. Here, we investigate the importance of tropical variegated landscapes to biodiversity conservation, using dung beetle as focal taxa.MethodsThe study was carried out in 12 variegated landscapes where dung beetles were sampled using six pitfall traps, 30 m apart from each other, along a transect in each studied landscape use and cover classes—LUCC (forest fragment and corridor, coffee plantation, and pasture). We baited each pitfall trap with 30 g of human feces and left open for a 48 h period. We also measured three environmental variables reflecting structural differences among the studied classes: canopy cover, local vegetation heterogeneity and soil sand content.ResultsWe collected 52 species and 2,695 individuals of dung beetles. We observed significant differences in the mean species richness, abundance and biomass among classes, with forest fragments presenting the highest values, forest corridors and coffee plantations presenting intermediate values, and pastures the lowest values. Regarding community structure, we also found significant differences among classes. Canopy cover was the only variable explaining variation in dung beetle species richness, abundance, biomass, and community structure. The relative importance of spatial turnover was greater than nestedness-resultant component in all studied landscapes.DiscussionThis study evaluated the ecological patterns of dung beetle communities in variegated tropical landscapes highlighting the importance of these landscapes for conservation of tropical biodiversity. However, we encourage variegation for the management of landscapes that have already been fragmented or as a complementary initiative of current conservation practices (e.g., protection of natural habitats and establishment of reserves).