Ground Beetle Communities Research Articles

Composition and diversity of ground beetles within wooded pastures and alternative land-use systems in Swiss Jura mountains

AbstractWooded pastures combine trees and pastures in a land-use system resulting from traditional silvopastoral practices. With their sparse tree cover, wooded pastures represent an ecotone between open area pastures and forests with potentially high species diversity, although this is poorly tested for animal groups especially insects. In this study, we aimed to characterise and compare species communities in terms of species composition and diversity indices, biomass and ecological traits of ground beetles in wooded pastures, forests and non-wooded pastures. Pitfall traps were set up in 29 study sites located in the Swiss Jura mountains. Ground beetle communities in wooded pastures largely encompass those in open pastures and forests, although some species are found only in forests or open areas. Wooded pastures and open pastures have an equivalent species diversity level, which is significantly higher than the one in forests. Ground beetle diversity is positively correlated with the surfaces of Biodiversity Promotion Areas within a 100 m radius. Areas with high tree cover (70–100%) favour brachypterous and hygrophilic species, whereas areas with reduced tree cover (0–20%) favour xerophilic and winged species. Ground beetles’ size and biomass increase with tree cover. Wooded pastures are an important ecotone, ensuring a gradual change of land-use systems between open areas and forests, where a wide range of species from both land-use systems are found. These semi-natural systems are important for the conservation of ground beetles.

Dispersal limitation and environmental filtering effects: The taxonomic and functional beta diversity of ground beetles along the altitudinal gradient in Chinese warm-temperature forests.

Beta diversity patterns along environmental gradients and underlying mechanisms constitute key research inquiries in biogeography. However, ecological processes often also influence the functional traits of biological communities, making the assessment of functional β-diversity crucial. Ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) are one of the most species-rich groups in the insect community, displaying strong habitat specificity and morphological differences. In this study, we explored the patterns of taxonomic and functional beta diversity in ground beetle communities along the altitudinal gradient of warm-temperature forests. By partitioning beta diversity into turnover and nestedness components, we evaluated their relationship with spatial distance. Our findings indicate a decline in species and functional trait similarity with increasing elevation and geographic distance. Further analysis attributed both types of beta diversity in carabids to a combination of dispersal limitation and environmental filtering, with elevation and geographic distance emerging as significant factors. Interestingly, forest-type variations were found to have no impact on the beta diversity of these communities. Our study reveals the impact of environmental filtering and dispersal limitation on both taxonomic and functional beta-diversity, shedding light on carabid community assembly in localized warm-temperature forest areas in eastern China.

The role of sheltered habitats in biodiversity conservation of species sensitive to drought: a case study using ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in the Gorongosa National Park

In the aftermath of 2019’ tropical cyclones Idai and Kenneth, we assessed ground beetle communities of the Gorongosa National Park (GNP) in Mozambique. The influence of habitat shelters, namely the buffering role of closed microhabitat conditions on Alpha diversity and community trait values during a long period of drought, was evaluated across the main habitat types of the park: miombo forests, mixed forests, transitional forests, and grasslands (open savannas). These habitat types comprised a distance gradient in relation to lake Urema, in the center of GNP. Miombo forests were farther from the lake while grasslands and transitional forests were in the floodplain area. Ground beetle communities were sampled using pitfall traps set up at 25 sites of each habitat type along an environmental gradient of tree canopy cover during the last twenty days of the dry season. Higher species richness of ground beetles was found in closed habitat shelters along the distance gradient to lake Urema. A higher functional diversity was also found along the canopy gradient, with larger sized and wingless species being more abundant in closed habitats than in open areas. This result highlights the crucial role of habitat closedness in the protection of sensitive ground beetles. In particular, the buffer effect of tree canopy and the protection of the understory plants and the litter layer was critical for the survival of hygrophilous species and will be key in conservation strategies to face climate aridification and habitat fragmentation.

Short-Term Response of Ground Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) to Fire in Formerly Managed Coniferous Forest in Central Europe

Forest fires represent a natural element in the dynamics of forest ecosystems. This study investigated the impact of a large-scale forest fire in 2022 (ca. 1300 ha) on epigeic ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae). The research was conducted in coniferous forests at six pairwise study sites: burnt and unburnt dead spruce from bark beetles, burnt and unburnt clear cut, and burnt and unburnt healthy sites. Each site was replicated in four plots, with two pitfall traps deployed within each plot. In total, 48 pitfall traps (6 × 4 × 2) were installed in April 2023. It was tested how individual sites affected the similarity of ground beetle communities, whether they contained similar life guilds, and how significantly large-scale fire affects the abundance of pyrophilous ground beetles. A total of 5952 individuals and 63 species were recorded. We observed a significant decline in abundance at clear-cut and dead spruce burnt sites (73% and 77.5%, respectively) compared to the unburnt sites. Conversely, abundance increased by 88% at the burnt healthy site compared to the unburnt healthy site. Additionally, significant differences in the number of species per trap and species richness diversity (q = 0, q = 1, q = 2) were found only between burnt and unburnt healthy sites. In general, the highest species richness in the comparison of all study sites was at unburnt clear-cut and burnt healthy sites. Communities of ground beetles responded considerably to the fire, differing significantly from unburnt sites, and demonstrating a high degree of similarity. The original healthy spruce stands had highly homogeneous communities. On the contrary, any disturbance (bark beetle calamity, clear-cut) resulted in an increase in the alpha, beta, and gamma diversities of the ground beetle communities. Burnt sites attracted pyrophilous species (Sericoda quadripunctata, Pterostichus quadrifoveolatus) at very low abundances, with the highest activity in the second half of the season. In conclusion, ground beetles demonstrated a strong short-term response to large-scale fire, forming specific communities. However, pyrophilous ground beetles were unable to occupy a large-scale fire area due to the initial low abundance. Understanding post-fire processes can provide important guidance for management in areas designated for biodiversity enhancement.

Drastic changes in ground-dwelling beetle communities following high-intensity deer culling: insights from an island ecosystem.

The overabundance of large herbivores can have detrimental effects on the local environment due to overgrazing. Culling is a common management practice implemented globally that can effectively control herbivore populations and allow vegetation communities to recover. However, the broader indirect effects of culling large herbivores remain relatively unknown, particularly on insect species such as ground-dwelling beetles that perform key ecosystem processes such as decomposition. Here we undertook a preliminary investigation to determine how culling sika deer on an island in North Japan impacted ground-beetle community dynamics. We conducted pitfall trapping in July and September in 2012 (before culling) and again in 2019 (after culling). We compared beetle abundance and community composition within 4 beetle families (Carabidae, Scarabaeidae, Geotrupidae, and Silphidae), across seasons and culling treatments. We found each family responded differently to deer culling. Scarabaeidae displayed the greatest decline in abundance after culling. Silphidae also had reduced abundance but to a lesser extent compared to Scarabaeidae. Carabidae had both higher and lower abundance after culling, depending on the season. We found beetle community composition differed between culling and season, but seasonal variability was reduced after culling. Overall, the culling of large herbivores resulted in a reduction of ground-dwelling beetle populations, particularly necrophagous species dependent on dung and carrion for survival. Our preliminary research highlights the need for long-term and large-scale experiments to understand the indirect ecological implications of culling programs on ecosystem processes.

Evergreen gymnosperm tree abundance drives ground beetle density and community composition in eastern US temperate forests

PurposeSoil invertebrates are abundant and diverse members of forest ecosystems, contributing in large parts to ecosystem functioning. Understanding drivers of soil invertebrate diversity, density, and community composition is critical to inform management practices as forests face rapid changes in land use and climate. Tree community metrics may help predict invertebrate communities due to their large role in shaping microhabitat and soil conditions. Ground beetles are a large family of soil-dwelling invertebrates comprised of multiple functional groups ideal for tying tree communities to invertebrate communities broadly. Methods Here, we evaluated the effects of tree diversity, density, and functional groups on ground beetle (Carabidae) diversity, density, and community composition in four eastern US temperate forest sites in the National Ecological Observatory Network. Results We found little evidence to support our hypothesis that higher tree diversity and density would, respectively, lead to higher diversity and density ground beetle communities. Instead, evergreen tree abundance strongly shaped ground beetle density and community composition. Specifically, evergreen stands contained a lower density of ground beetles than deciduous stands. Similarly, the relative abundance of predatory ground beetles increased as the relative abundance of evergreen trees increased. Conclusions Our results show that the resource environments created by trees with varying leaf habits are a dominant force driving ground beetle community diversity and density patterns and suggest that future research exploring mechanisms driving this pattern could improve our understanding of plant-soil interactions.

Regional sets of diverse, specialized ground beetle and plant assemblages recolonise China’s restored temperate forest landscapes

Following the historic destruction of China’s forests, large protected forest landscapes have been reestablishment across the country in recent decades. Currently, the species assemblages inhabiting these landscapes remain widely unknown. Here, we aim to establish whether the new temperate forest landscapes in Eastern China, composed of plantation, secondary and remnant mature forest patches, are dominated by widely distributed habitat generalists, widely distributed habitat specialists, or by sets of highly localized forest habitat specialist species, using vascular plants and ground beetles as case studies. We sampled plants and ground beetles on 159 plots representing different forest types distributed across ten study regions. The Chord-normalized expected species shared (CNESS) dissimilarity for beetles and Jaccard dissimilarity for plants were calculated to establish species’ turnover patterns, while we used structural equation and multiple regression models for dissimilarity matrices to establish the relative importance of location, elevation and biotic interactions in explaining large-scale distribution patterns of species assemblages. Both taxa showed highly regionalized recruitment, with plant communities responding strongly to latitude, and to geographic location in general, while the composition of ground beetle communities appeared strongly governed by both the composition of the vegetation and study plot location. Both assemblages showed a distinct lack of widespread habitat generalists. Our results demonstrate for the first time that local assemblages of forest specialist species appear to have survived last century’s deforestation in unknown refugia before successfully re-colonizing China’s restored forest ecosystems. We argue that restored forest landscapes can play a significant role in the conservation of temperate China’s biodiversity at both local and regional scales.

Species composition and ecological structure of ground beetle communities (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in reclaimed rock dumps in the south of Western Siberia

Coal mining has a strong negative impact on the environment. It transforms natural landscapes into technogenic ones with high rock embankments and deep depressions, i.e., dumps and quarries. Such areas are good model sites for studying primary successions. Using the example of the Krasnobrodsky coal mine, this paper investigates the ecological and faunal structure of the ground beetle communities which inhabit the rock dumps of various ages in the forest-steppe zone in the south of Western Siberia. A total of 125 ground beetle species from 38 genera were collected. It was also established that fresh dumps were quickly populated by ground beetles. The basis of the taxocene is formed by species with high ecological plasticity, confined to anthropogenic biotopes. According to the Principal Component Analysis (PCA), ground beetle communities in dumps differ from native reference ecosystems. The Jaccard similarity index between 2- and 7-year-old dumps was 54%, while for the control zone and the site at the foot of the 25-year-old dump, this value was 68%. During 35 years of succession, the species composition of carabidocenoses varied, while the species abundance and dynamic density decreased (r = -0.78, p < 0.001). A wide range of life forms has been established for ground beetles. This indicates the active development of ecological niches, formed in technogenically transformed territories. This study demonstrates that the time interval of 35 years used for consideration is insufficient for recovering ground beetle communities to a climax state, typical to the ecosystems of a corresponding forest-steppe zone.

Long droughts decrease tiger- and ground-beetle’ beta diversity and community body size in savannas of the Gorongosa National Park (Mozambique)

We assessed the Caraboidea communities of Gorongosa National Park (GNP) in Mozambique. Influence of tropical rainfall, after a long period of drought, was evaluated on alpha and beta diversity of tiger- and ground-beetles in the main habitat types of the park: miombo forests, mixed forests, transitional forests, and grasslands (open savannas). Tiger- and ground-beetle communities were sampled by pitfall traps set up in 25 sites of each habitat type along three sampling periods, comprising the transition of dry season to the wet season. After the first rainfall, an increase in alpha diversity was observed across GNP habitats, particularly in grasslands. Higher values of beta diversity were observed between the dry and wet sampling periods, particularly in grasslands. In contrast, community dissimilarities between sampling periods were not significant in the transitional forests. Community body size in grasslands increased after the rainfall, partly due to the occurrence of caraboid species that were exclusive of forest habitats during drought. Transitional forests, as ecotone habitat areas, appeared to support grassland species during drought, serving also as a source of forest species that may colonize the open areas in the wet season. Forest species will probably be more threatened by climate aridification and future landscape changes due to climate change.

FAUNA AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF GROUND BEETLES (COLEOPTERA: CARABIDAE) ON THE CHEKHOV MOUNTAIN, SAKHALIN ISLAND

Totally 61 species of ground beetles are known from the Chekhov Mountain (Susunai Range, Sakhalin Island), of which 21 species are recorded from here for the first time. The results of collecting ground beetles in 9 model plots in 2021-2022 are analyzed. Three complexes of ground beetle communities are identified: I – floodplain low-mountain; II – low-mountain forest and meadow; III – alpine.

Species composition and ecological structure of ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) communities as biological indicators of the agro-environmental sustainability

Intensification of crop cultivation can have detrimental environmental consequences that however can be prevented by monitoring of the specific biological indicators sensitive to changes in the ambient environment. In this study the impact of crop type (spring wheat and corn) and cultivation intensity on the community of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in the forest-steppe of Western Siberia was investigated. A total of 39 species from 15 genera were collected. Ground beetles' community was characterized by a high evenness of species distribution across the agroecosystems. The average Jaccard's similarity index for species presence/absence was 65%, and for abundance it was 54%. The significant difference in the distribution of predatory and mixophytophages ground beetles in wheat crops (U test, P < 0.05) can be justified by the constant suppression of the weed component and the use of insecticides that lead to the dominance of the predators. Fauna of wheat crops was more diverse than that in corn (Margalef index, U test, P < 0.05). No significant differences in biological diversity indexes, except for the Simpson dominance index (U test, P < 0.05, wheat), were found in ground beetle communities in crops at different levels of intensification. A certain differentiation of predatory species was caused by the selective occurrence of the litter-soil species, especially abundant in the row-crop. The specificity of the ground beetle community of corn crops may have been caused by repeated inter-row tillage, which influenced the increase in porosity and topsoil relief and contributed to the creation of favorable microclimatic conditions. In general, the applied level of agrotechnological intensification had no significant effect on the species composition and ecological structure of beetle communities in agrolandscapes. The use of bioindicators made it possible to assess the environmental sustainability of the agricultural environment and also creates the prerequisites for the development of ecologically directed correction of agrotechnological operations in agroecosystem management.

GROUND BEETLES (CARABIDAE) IN INUNDATION AREA OF THE RIVER DANUBE

Changes in the structure of ground beetle communities indicate environmental stability or instability influenced by e.g., urbanization, agriculture, and forestry. Over the course of the year 2021, we used pitfall traps to record 504 individuals (185 ♂; 319 ♀) belonging to 26 species at ten localities. The predominance of macropterous species indicating the higher anthropogenic intervention was recorded in the habitats of meadows and pastures. We found an even representation of apterous, brachypterous and macropterous species in the habitat of forest stands, wetland reed communities, restored poplar forest with continued succession.

GROUND BEETLES (COLEOPTERA: CARABIDAE) IN DIFFERENT AGROECOSYSTEMS OF SOUTHEAST KAZAKHSTAN

The recent study on ground beetles (Carabidae) was carried out in 2020 over five different agroecosystems, i.e., alfalfa, barley, corn, soybean, and triticale, at the Kaskelen Experimental Farm, Southeast Kazakhstan. Overall, 38 species of ground beetles related to 24 genera were identified. From these, the Harpаlus rufipes, Poecilus cupreus, and P. versicolor were the dominant ones in the different agroecosystems. Most of the ground beetles are general predators and useful as entomophages. These beetles and their larvae exterminate various agricultural pests. However, the presence of P. versicolorand P. cupreus suggests a threat to the crops. Those species have a mixed diet and are also known as economically significant pests, of which the most famous is the ground beetle Zabrus morio. Different agroecosystems have shown different distributions of ground beetle species, indicating the influence of cultivated crops on the formation of the ground beetle community. Findings from the study could provide the basis for designing crop management programs after promoting the presence of ground beetles that can contribute to the prevention and control of agricultural pests.

Entwicklung der Laufkäferfauna (Coleoptera: Carabidae) einer Kurzumtriebsplantage über einen Zeitraum von 9 Jahren

In order to evaluate the importance of short-rotation coppice (SRC) as habitat for ground beetles, a SRC with stands of different tree species (poplar, willow, rowan) in the municipality of Schapen (NW-Germany) was investigated during several years and different rotation-phases using pitfall traps. Regardless of the plantation-age, the cultivated tree species and the rotation-phase, the ground beetle fauna of the surveyed SRC was dominated by widespread and common generalists. Species of conservation concern (exclusively xerothermophilic species) were found only sporadically and had their main occurrence in the two years following the establishment of the plantation. During this phase, Harpalus griseus, a rare and threatened species in Lower Saxony, was detected in large numbers. After 8 and 9 years respectively, species numbers as well as the number of specimens on the entire SRC and within its different stands were considerably lower than in the early establishment phase. The partial harvest of the poplar and willow stands caused a significant change in ground beetle communities and a strong increase in the activity of openland species. However, openland generalists were the main beneficiaries, while pioneer species like Harpalus griseus occurred only sporadically. Woodland species were found only rarely even in the 9th year after establishment. We conclude that the conservational value of SRC as habitat for ground beetles is generally limited, decreases with increasing plantation-age and that a mosaic of different tree stands, rotation-phases and headlands is not sufficient to promote pioneer species of conservation concern. In order to provide permanently suitable conditions for these species, additional measures extending beyond the regular management of the plantations are required. These should aim at the creation of sun-exposed ruderal habitats with a patchy herb layer and high proportions of bare ground within accompanying structures of SRC like headlands or rides.

Факторы, оказывающие влияние на численность и пространственное распределение жужелиц (Coleoptera, Carabidae) в агроценозах с разным уровнем интенсификации агротехнологий

This paper describes the results of data analysis on species composition and population of ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in agrocenoses of spring wheat and corn at different levels of intensification in the forest-steppe of Western Siberia in the period of 2019-2021. The research was aimed at identifying correlating factors with the abundance of ground beetle communities and assessing their significance. The data analysis methods were specified with regard to the peculiarities of the structure and nature of the initial data distribution. Analysis of the population dynamics was performed for 20 species common and abundant for all agrocenoses (represented by dominants and subdominants). A position of the crop in the crop rotation was a significant factor for the agrocenoses of spring wheat, given that the distance from the steam increases the total biomass of vegetation due to weeds, as well as the number of pests, which probably forms more favorable conditions for the activity of ground beetles. Another correlation was also established between the index of dynamic density of ground beetles in wheat crops and the sum of active temperatures (t&gt;5 ºC), revealing the significant role of heat supply for poikilothermic organisms. The correlation between the index of dynamic density of ground beetles and the vegetation index NDVI values in corn pointed to the features of microclimate formation, given the biology of corn and the ability to build up a large volume of biomass already by mid-summer. No significant correlation between the technology of cultivation (level of intensification) and the dynamic density of ground beetles in agrocenoses was found. Therefore, the level of intensification (the use of crop protection agents and fertilizers regulated by the cultivation technology) does not have a significant effect on the number of ground beetles in the crops. Keywords: GROUND BEETLES, SPECIES DIVERSITY, COMMUNITY STRUCTURE, COMMUNITY DYNAMICS, AGROCENOSIS, INTENSIFICATION OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY

Groundcovers and Rain Shelters Alter Co-Occurrence Patterns among Ground Beetle Communities in an Organic Raspberry Crop.

Simple SummaryRain shelters and reflective groundcovers improve the economic and environmental sustainability of organic fruit crops affected by a number of plant pathogens. In this study, we examined whether these structures also affect the communities of species that inhabit the soil surface, particularly ground beetles, in organic red raspberry crops. Our results indicate that ground beetle species richness, activity and functional traits differed in the presence of rain shelters and reflective groundcovers, but these effects were relatively minor. Thus, this study suggests that these structures, which have known benefits against plant pathogens, had no detrimental impact on ground beetle communities.The use of rain shelters and reflective groundcovers has been shown to improve the economic and environmental sustainability of organic fruit crops prone to rain-driven epidemics of phytopathogens. Here, we tested whether these structures affect communities of epigean species. To this end, we studied rain shelters and white, synthetic reflective groundcovers placed in a red raspberry organic cropping system in New Brunswick, Canada, during two subsequent summers to assess their independent and combined effects on ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae). 18,445 ground beetles belonging to 54 species were collected. Rain shelters and reflective groundcovers altered patterns of ground beetle species richness, activity density and functional diversity compared to the control, but to a limited extent. Thus, this study suggests that these structures, which have known benefits against phytopathogens, have no detrimental impact on epigean fauna.

Structure of ground beetle (Coleoptera, Carabidae) community in the spring wheat crops of the northern forest-steppe of the Ob region

The species composition of the ground beetle community (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in the spring wheat crop area in the forest-steppe zone of Western Siberia was researched for the period of 2019-2020. The ground beetle population was represented by 36 species from 14 genera. The genera Poecilus, Dolichus, and Harpalus were the most abundant, while the genera Pterostichus, Poecilus, Harpalus, and Amara had the highest species diversity. It was revealed that the dominant species in sites with conventional technology of spring wheat cultivation, are: Harpalus rufipes, Poecilus cupreus, Dolichus halensis, Harpalus calceatus, and in 2020 Agonum gracilipes appeared along with them. In 2020, the species abundance increased by 25%, and the dynamic density of most species in the second year of the study was also higher than in the first year. This may be caused by the influence of agrometeorological conditions of the studied area. The vegetation period of 2020 differed by conditions of heat and moisture supply in comparison with 2019, as indicators of 2020 are much higher than the previous year and average long-term values for the area. The dominant and subdominant complex of carabidofauna was found to be relatively stable for two years.

Communities of ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in agrocenoses with different levels of intensification in the forest-steppe zone of Western Siberia

Communities of ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in agrocenoses with different levels of intensification in the forest-steppe zone of Western Siberia

Sölle Nordost-Brandenburgs als glazialmorphologische Relikte und deren Bedeutung für Laufkäfergemeinschaften

Kettle holes as unique and heterogeneous ecosystems are of particular importance for biodiversity in the otherwise rather monotonous agricultural landscape of north-eastern Brandenburg. This study investigates the ground beetle communities within the individual vegetation zones (field, ruderal vegetation, sedge swamp, reed and flooding area) of 20 kettle holes, with five pitfall traps placed in each of the holes. The results show that some species have a very specific abundance distribution in certain vegetation zones of the kettle holes. Particularly noteworthy here are the reed and flooding areas, which appear to be particularly rich in species despite the low number of traps. Many of the endangered species recorded are reed-dependent hygrophilous species. This demonstrates the importance for the preservation of the kettle holes with their strong water level fluctuations, which harbor a ground beetle community that is particularly worthy of protection.

Changes in ground beetle communities (Coleoptera: Carabidae, Tenebrionidae) in mountain depressions of the Tuva and Altai over 60 years: trend or fluctuation?

Changes in ground beetle communities (Coleoptera: Carabidae, Tenebrionidae) in mountain depressions of the Tuva and Altai over 60 years: trend or fluctuation?