Ground-dwelling Beetles Research Articles

Diversity and composition of ground-dwelling beetle assemblages (Insecta: Coleoptera) in Rawdhat Khorim National Park, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Rawdhats are unique alluvial meadows that provide a major opportunity for conservation of biodiversity in the Arabian hyper-arid regions. This study investigated the diversity and composition of the ground-dwelling beetle assemblages in two locations within Rawdhat Khorim National Park, Saudi Arabia. Beetles were collected during 24-periods from November 2011 to October 2012 using pitfall traps. A total of 114 species, 96 genera and 22 families were identified. Four Tenebrionidae dominated the catch, Mesostena puncticollis Solier, Oxycara saudarabica Kaszab, Gonocephalum prolixum (Erichson) and Apentanodes arabicus (Kirchsberg). Although richness and abundance did not differ significantly between the locations, diversity and evenness were different. The beetle family abundance showed variations between the locations. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and the analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) showed a high dissimilarity degree in species composition. Scavengers occurred in higher abundance and richness in one location. Predators and herbivores occurred in higher abundances in the other location. This study suggests that scavengers can be used for monitoring the ecology integrity in xeric-lands. It revealed the difficulty of interpreting richness and diversity measures without a high species identification level and knowledge about feeding guilds. Our findings will assist in monitoring approaches for conservation of natural habitats in arid lands.

Short-Term Responses of Ground-Dwelling Beetles to Ice Storm-Induced Treefall Gaps in a Subtropical Broad-Leaved Forest in Southeastern China.

Periodic natural disturbances shape the mosaic character of many landscapes and influence the distribution and abundance of organisms. In this study, we tested the effect of ice storm-induced treefall gaps on ground-dwelling beetle assemblages in different-aged successional stands of subtropical broad-leaved forest in southeastern China. We evaluated the relative importance of gap-phase microhabitat type (within gap, gap edge, and interior shaded) within different stand ages (regenerating stands and mature stands) as determinants of changes in beetle diversity and community structure. At 18 replicate sites sampled during 2009-2010, no significant differences were found in species richness and the abundances of the most common beetle species captured in pitfall traps among the three gap-phase microhabitat types, but the abundances of total beetles, as well as fungivorous and phytophagous species groups, were significantly lower in gap microhabitats than in interior shaded microhabitats in mature stands. Beetle assemblage composition showed no significant differences among the three microhabitat types, and only the fauna of gap plots slightly diverged from those of edge and shaded plots in mature stands. Cover of shrubs and stand age significantly affected beetle assemblage structure. Our results suggest that beetle responses to gap-phase dynamics in early successional forests are generally weak, and that effects are more discernible in the mature stands, perhaps due to the abundance responses of forest-specialist species.

Drivers and Patterns of Ground-Dwelling Beetle Biodiversity across Northern Canada.

Many macroecological patterns of biodiversity, including the relationship between latitude and species richness, are well-described. Data collected in a repeatable, standardized manner can advance the discipline beyond the description of patterns and be used to elucidate underlying mechanisms. Using standardized field methods and a hyper-diverse focal taxon, viz. Coleoptera, we aim to (1) describe large-scale latitudinal patterns of taxonomic diversity, functional diversity, and assemblage structure across northern Canada, and (2) determine which climatic, spatial, and habitat variables best explain these patterns. We collected terrestrial beetles at twelve locations in the three northernmost ecoclimatic zones in North America: north boreal, subarctic, and high arctic (51–81°N, 60–138°W). After identifying beetles and assigning them to a functional group, we assessed latitudinal trends for multiple diversity indices using linear regression and visualized spatial patterns of assemblage structure with multivariate ordinations. We used path analysis to test causal hypotheses for species and functional group richness, and we used a permutational approach to assess relationships between assemblage structure and 20 possible climatic and environmental mechanisms. More than 9,000 beetles were collected, representing 464 species and 18 functional groups. Species and functional diversity have significant negative relationships with latitude, which are likely explained by the mediating effects of temperature, precipitation, and plant height. Assemblages within the same ecoclimatic zone are similar, and there is a significant relationship between assemblage structure and latitude. Species and functional assemblage structure are significantly correlated with many of the same climatic factors, particularly temperature maxima and minima. At a large spatial extent, the diversity and assemblage structure of northern beetles show strong latitudinal gradients due to the mediating effects of climate, particularly temperature. Northern arthropod assemblages present significant opportunities for biodiversity research and conservation efforts, and their sensitivity to climate make them ideal targets for long-term terrestrial diversity monitoring.

Living near the edge: Being close to mature forest increases the rate of succession in beetle communities.

In increasingly fragmented landscapes, it is important to understand how mature forest affects adjacent secondary forest (forest influence). Forest influence on ecological succession of beetle communities is largely unknown. We investigated succession and forest influence using 235 m long transects across boundaries between mature and secondary forest at 15 sites, sampling a chronosequence of three forest age classes (5-10, 23- 29, and 42-46 years since clear-cutting) in tall eucalypt forest in Tasmania, Australia. Our results showed that ground-dwelling beetle communities showed strong successional changes, and in the oldest secondary forests, species considered indicators of mature forest had recolonized to abundance levels similar to those observed within adjacent mature forest stands. However, species composition also showed forest influence gradients in all age classes. Forest influence was estimated to extend 13 m and 20 m in the youngest and intermediate-aged secondary forests, respectively. However, the estimated effect extended to at least 176 m in the oldest secondary forest. Our environmental modeling suggests that leaf litter, microclimate, and soil variables were all important in explaining the spatial variation in beetle assemblages, and the relative importance of factors varied between secondary forest age classes. Mature-forest beetle communities can recolonize successfully from the edge, and our results provide a basis for land managers to build mature habitat connectivity into forest mosaics typical of production forests. Our results also indicate the importance of forest influence in determining potential conservation value of older secondary forest for beetles.

Ground-dwelling arthropod community response to native grassland conversion in a temperate desert of northwestern China

Oases are common in desert regions of northwestern China and are major sites for human settlement. The implementation of oasis conservation planning has led to afforestation with appropriate shrubs and trees in the native grasslands surrounding inhabited oases. However, little is known about how this Land use change from native grassland to shrub and tree plantations influences the composition of ground-dwelling arthropod communities and the performance of their different trophic groups. To address this, we measured activity density, taxon richness, and relative abundance of four different ground arthropod trophic groups (spiders, beetle predators, beetle herbivores, and beetle detritivores) and several environmental variables affecting arthropod distributions (vegetation cover, ground temperature, soil moisture, soil properties, and leaf litter) along an experimentally established land use change gradient of a mature shrub (Haloxylon ammodendron) planation, a mature poplar (Populus gansuensis) plantation and a mature pine (Pinus sylvestris) plantation, as well as a native grassland from which all cultivated systems were converted. We found that converted shrub plantation had much lower activity density of predatory, herbivorous, and detritivorous beetles; similar activity density of spiders; and similar taxa richness of all four trophic groups relative to the native grassland. However, converted forest plantations regardless of tree species had much higher activity density of spiders, lower activity density of the three beetle groups, much higher richness of predatory beetles, and lower richness of herbivorous and detritivorous beetles. We also found a change in the composition of the ground arthropod community that was largely driven by changes in ground temperature and leaf litter mass. We conclude that conversion of native grassland to shrub and tree plantations can significantly affect ground-dwelling arthropod communities, reducing the activity of ground-dwelling beetle assemblages while increasing that of ground-dwelling spider assemblages. These findings are important for conserving native arthropod diversity in desert ecosystems.

Effects of forest management on ground-dwelling beetles (Coleoptera; Carabidae, Staphylinidae) in Central Europe are mainly mediated by changes in forest structure

Forest management is known to influence species diversity of various taxa but inconsistent or even contrasting effects are reported for arthropods. Regional differences in management as well as differences in regional species pools might be responsible for these inconsistencies, but, inter-regional replicated studies that account for regional variability are rare. We investigated the effect of forest type on the abundance, diversity, community structure and composition of two important ground-dwelling beetle families, Carabidae and Staphylinidae, in 149 forest stands distributed over three regions in Germany. In particular we focused on recent forestry history, stand age and dominant tree species, in addition to a number of environmental descriptors. Overall management effects on beetle communities were small and mainly mediated by structural habitat parameters such as the cover of forest canopy or the plant diversity on forest stands. The general response of both beetle taxa to forest management was similar in all regions: abundance and species richness of beetles was higher in older than in younger stands and species richness was lower in unmanaged than in managed stands. The abundance ratio of forest species-to-open habitat species differed between regions, but generally increased from young to old stands, from coniferous to deciduous stands and from managed to unmanaged stands. The response of both beetle families to dominant tree species was variable among regions and staphylinid richness varied in the response to recent forestry history. Our results suggest that current forest management practices change the composition of ground-dwelling beetle communities mainly by favoring generalists and open habitat species. To protect important forest beetle communities and thus the ecosystem functions and services provided by them, we suggest to shelter remaining ancient forests and to develop near-to-nature management strategies by prolonging rotation periods and increasing structural diversity of managed forests. Possible geographic variations in the response of beetle communities need to be considered in conservation-orientated forest management strategies.

Pairwise measures of species co-occurrence for choosing indicator species and quantifying overlap

One of the most important ecological relationships between any two species is the degree of overlap in their distributions, i.e., their co-occurrence. Quantifying this relationship is a key step in the selection of indicator species and many other analyses in conservation biology and ecology. We derived a measure of the co-occurrence of two species based on the relative mutual information (RMI) of their distributions, and then compared its performance to three existing statistics: bivariate or binary covariance (BC), mean pairwise index (MPI), and proportional similarity (PS). To make this comparison, we measured co-occurrence values for all pairwise combinations of species collected from three communities (ground-dwelling beetles, moths, and vascular plants) in the Jerusalem Mountains and Judean Foothills, central Israel. We then used these co-occurrence values to address two different ecological problems: the challenge of identifying good indicator species, and the question of whether congeneric species co-occur more than species from different genera. We found that PS and RMI were the most reliable basis for choosing indicator species, but these two statistics differed in their error structures: PS had lower rates of type I errors (false positives), while RMI had lower rates of type II errors (false negatives). We also found that congeneric species co-occurred more often than species from different genera, but this pattern was statistically significant for only some of the measures of co-occurrence. In our analysis, then, the conclusion that we reached regarding the co-occurrence of congeneric species depended on which co-occurrence statistic was used. We therefore caution that available co-occurrence statistics should not be used interchangeably, because the ecological inferences drawn from a study may depend on the choice of co-occurrence statistic. In summary, we recommend PS and RMI as pairwise measures of species co-occurrence for investigating the reliability of biodiversity indicators and other applications in conservation biology and ecology.

Ground-Dwelling Beetle Responses to Long-Term Precipitation Alterations in a Hardwood Forest

It is widely predicted that regional precipitation patterns may be altered due to climate change, and these changes may affect areas with extensive forests. Therefore, studies investigating the role of this climate driver on forest floor fauna are timely. We examined the impact of precipitation alteration over 13 years on Coleoptera (specifically Family Carabidae) communities in a temperate forest by testing the effects of dry (33% precipitation interception), ambient (control), and wet (33% precipitation addition) treatments. We collected insects in pitfall traps and quantified forest-floor physical and chemical parameters. Beetle abundance and Carabidae tribe richness were significantly reduced in dry plots. Community similarity was substantially higher between wet and ambient plots compared to dry plots due to the substantial reduction of three dominant carabid tribes. Litter mass increased overall, litter nitrogen decreased, and carbon:nitrogen ratio (C:N) and total phenolics increased in the dry-plot Oi horizon. Beetle abundance and tribe richness were positively related to soil moisture, and beetle abundance was negatively related to litter mass. Microarthropod abundance was highest in the dry treatment. This study provides evidence that shifting precipitation patterns predicted with climate change could alter important ground-fauna communities in extensive ecosystems such as temperate forests.

Converting natural vegetation to farmland alters functional structure of ground-dwelling beetles and spiders in a desert oasis

A vast area of native shrub-dominated steppe at the margins of desert oases in arid regions of China had been reclaimed as farmland in the last century for grain production to feed growing human populations. This study evaluated the consequences of this land-use change on the activity density, taxa richness and composition of functional groups (herbivores, predators and detritivores) of ground-dwelling beetles and spiders, which include some important ecological groups of natural enemies of insect pests (e.g. predatory spiders and beetles), pollinators and decomposers (e.g. detritivorous beetles). Ground-dwelling beetles and spiders were collected using pitfall traps in native steppe habitats and adjacent irrigated farmland of different ages (cultivated either for 27 or at least for 90 years). It was found the conversion of native steppe to farmland, regardless of farmland age, led to a significant increase in activity density of predators, with a greater increase in 90-year-old farmland than in 27-year-old farmland, but did not affect their taxa richness. However, native steppe conversion to farmland, regardless of farmland age, led to significant declines in activity density and taxa richness of both detritivores and herbivores, with a much greater decrease of activity or richness in detritivores than in herbivores in both farmland types. We also observed taxa-specific responses to the land conversion within functional groups. The functional composition of the beetle and spider community shifted from a community dominated by detritivores in the native steppe sites to one dominated by predators in the irrigated farmland sites. Our results suggest that the different functional groups of ground-dwelling beetles and spiders responded in a different way to the land conversion. The remarkable increase in predators and the dramatic decline in detritivores by converting natural vegetation to agricultural land are expected to strongly affect the desert ecosystem services such as biological pest control, pollination and decomposition.

Diversity of ground-dwelling beetles (Coleoptera) in restored habitats in the hill and gully area of Loess Plateau, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

The aim of this study was to probe into changes in diversity of ground-dwelling beetles (Coleoptera) and their relation to environmental variables within restored habitats in the hill and gully area of Loess Plateau, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China. An investigation of ground-dwelling beetle communities was carried out using pitfall traps in six habitats including shrub/grassland, tree/shrub mix, fuel-wood forest, naturally restored grassland, plantation forest, and level terraced field in July and August, 2013. We found that species richness and abundance of individual ground-dwelling beetles was higher (P<0.05) in the shrub/grassland, tree/shrub mix, and fuel-wood forest compared to the other three stands. Species richness of ground-dwelling beetles was markedly lower (P<0.05) in naturally restored grassland, plantation forest and level terraced field, whereas the abundance of individual ground-dwelling beetles were higher in plantation forest and level terraced field than in naturally restored grassland. Jaccard indices revealed a high level of similarity amongst shrub/grassland, tree/shrub mix, and fuel-wood forest stands, and then between plantation forest stands and level terraced fields. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that herbaceous biomass, cover of shrub species and soil water content were the key factors affecting species richness of ground-dwelling beetles, while it was canopy cover and leaf litter depth that most affected total abundance. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that the cover and depth of leaf litter, cover of canopy and herbaceous layers were important determinants of species abundance and composition of beetle communities. 第 4 期 杭佳等: 宁夏黄土丘陵区不同生态恢复生境地表甲虫多样性 517 In conclusion, conversion to shrub/grasslands may be one option for raising ground-dwelling beetle diversity in the hill and gully area of Loess Plateau, Ningxia.

Composition and distribution of ground‐dwelling beetles among oak fragments and surrounding pine plantations in a temperate forest of North China

In this study, we compared ground-dwelling beetle assemblages (Coleoptera) from a range of different oak fragments and surrounding conifer plantations to evaluate effects of forest size and surrounding matrix habitat in a temperate forest of north China. During 2000, beetles were sampled via pitfall traps within two large oak fragments (ca. 2.0-4.0 ha), two small oak fragments (ca. 0.2-0.4 ha) and two surrounding matrices dominated by pine plantations (>4 ha) in two sites of different aspects. Overall, no significantly negative effects from forest patch size and the surrounding matrix habitat were detected in total species number and abundance of ground-dwelling beetles. However, compared with small oak patches or pine plantations, more species were associated with an affinity for at least one large oak patch of the two aspects. Multivariate regression trees showed that the habitat type better determined the beetle assemblage structure than patch size and aspect, indicating a strong impact of the surrounding matrix. Linear mixed models indicated that species richness and abundance of all ground-dwelling beetles or beetle families showed different responses to the selected environmental variables. Our results suggest that more disturbed sites are significantly poorer in oak forest specialists, which are usually more abundant in large oak fragments and decrease in abundance or disappear in small fragments and surrounding matrix habitats. Thus, it is necessary to preserve a minimum size of forest patch to create conditions characteristic for forest interior, rather than the more difficult task of increasing habitat connectivity.

Enhypnon Carter: a taxonomic revision of an endemic Australian genus of ground-dwelling beetles (Coleoptera: Zopheridae).

The Australian endemic genus Enhypnon Carter (Coleoptera, Zopheridae) is revised, including the description of six new species: E. cordicollis sp. n., E. kosciuszko sp. n., E. simplex sp. n., E. squamosum sp. n., E. latitarsis sp. n., and E. tuberculatum sp. n., and the re-description of four species: E. costatum (Carter, 1919) comb. n. (from Mnionophilus), E. horridum (Carter, 1919), E. laticeps Carter, 1919 and E. punctatum Carter, 1927. A lectotype and paralectotype are herein designated for E. laticeps. A key to species is provided. All species are illustrated with line-drawings and high-resolution photographs. Detailed locality records are given for each species and distribution maps are provided. Distribution and habitat preference data are discussed.

Land use changes and ground dwelling beetle conservation in extensive grazing dehesa systems of north-west Spain

Traditional management practiced over centuries in Mediterranean cultural landscapes has led to singular agrosilvopastoral ecosystems such as dehesas. Recent abandonment of dehesa management has resulted in shrub encroachment, habitat homogenisation and increased fire risk. Mechanical shrub cutting to decrease biomass load creates novel cleared dehesas with yet unknown consequences for the ecosystem function. We investigated the effects of these land use changes on ground dwelling beetles (carabids and staphylinids) as model organisms by comparing traditionally grazed, long-time abandoned and newly cleared dehesas. Land use changes affected beetle species composition by altering habitat structure (e.g., litter layer) and the availability of feeding resources. Grazed dehesas held the highest number of exclusive species and particular functional guilds of carabid seed eaters and staphylinid coprophiles, utilizing food resources related to the presence of grazing livestock (annual herbs and coprophagous insects). Beetle assemblages of abandoned dehesas, resembling those known from surrounding human disturbed oak forests, exhibited the lowest abundance and greatly differed from beetle assemblages of grazed dehesas. Shrub clearance after dehesa abandonment benefited opportunistic beetle predators feeding on decomposers associated with cutting slash left on the ground. The habitat structure and beetle species composition of cleared dehesas slightly approached those of grazed dehesas, therefore suggesting shrub cutting as a first step towards restoration of abandoned dehesas. However, since livestock grazing is an essential driver of ground dwelling beetle composition, it should be promoted after shrub cutting in cleared dehesas to restore the characteristic assemblages, species interactions and ecosystem function of grazed dehesas.

Essential and Nonessential Elements in Nestling Rooks Corvus frugilegus from Eastern Poland with a Special Emphasis on Their High Cadmium Contamination

Concentration of minerals (sodium, potassium, calcium [Ca], magnesium, iron [Fe], copper, zinc [Zn], manganese [Mn], and cobalt) as well as toxic metals (cadmium [Cd], lead [Pb]) were determined in five tissues (liver, lung, kidney, muscle, and bone) of nestling rooks (Corvus frugilegus; 1 to 13 days old) found dead in seven breeding colonies in eastern Poland. Cd concentration in all analyzed tissues was in the narrow range of 17.0-17.2 mg/kg dry weight (dw) Cd, which in the light of the literature data indicates acute contamination by this toxic metal. Similarly, we found increased levels of Pb, which in all tissues ranged between 5.0 and 6.2 mg/kg dw. Results of multivariate general linear model (GLM) testing of the effect of three variables (tissue type, colony, and nestling age) on tissue concentrations of various metals showed significance for Fe, Cu, Zn, and Mn. Only concentrations of Ca, Fe, and Zn differed significantly between the analyzed tissues. GLM analysis did not show any statistically significant differences in tissue levels of minerals and both toxic metals among examined rookeries, which indicates the widespread presence of nonpoint Cd and Pb pollution linked to agricultural activity and similar levels of these inorganic contaminants on crop fields (feeding grounds) around breeding colonies. We concluded that high levels of both toxic metals, Cd and Pb, probably resulting from the diet of nestling rooks, are based mainly on a diet of ground-dwelling beetles gathered on crop fields.

Dietary differences and niche partitioning in three sympatric &lt;I&gt;Myotis&lt;/I&gt; Species

The morphology and diet characteristics of three Myotis species roosting in the same cave were studied in Anlong County, Guizhou from September to November 2005. The three mouse-eared bats were the Chinese water myotis (Myotis laniger) "body mass: (4.46±0.53) g, forearm: (34.63±1.45 mm)", fringed long-footed myotis (Myotis fimbriatus) "body mass: (5.15±1.76) g, forearm: (35.20±1.07) mm" and szechwan myotis (Myotis altarium) "body mass: (10.94±0.87) g, forearm: (45.21±1.15) mm". There were significant differences in the body masses of the three species. The forearm length of M. altarium was significantly longer than the other two species. M. laniger preyed mostly on dipsters and their larvae (79.7% in volume and 100% in frequency, Diptera). M. fimbriatus preyed mostly on dipsters and small beetles (59.6% and 91.3%, Diptera; 28.8% and 80.1%, Coleoptera). The prey of M. altarium was mostly ground-dwelling beetles (80.8% and 100%, Carabidae and Silphidae, Coleoptera). These dietary examinations indicate that the three species are highly adapted to different foraging habitats. Our work suggests that the spatial differences in foraging niches and trophic resource partitioning represent the major mechanism behind the levels of co-existence seen in this particular bat community.

Quantifying Beetle and Bird Diversity in a Mediterranean Mountain Agro-Ecosystem

In cultivated landscapes, the peculiar mosaic structure creates several types of habitat. Defining which habitats favor rich biodiversity is of increasing im portance. beetle and bird diversity was monitored in seven different habitats (cereals, corn, fallow, Robinia pseudoacacia plantations, grassland, cultivation–oak forest ecotone, and oak forest) in central Greece aiming at (a) quantifying the alpha and beta diversity using biotic indicators, (b) evaluating spe cies richness, (c) identifying the most important habitats for beetle and bird species assemblages, and (d) examining species generalism or specialism in habitat use. To assess the impact of habitat type on biodiversity we estimated the abundance (A), species richness (S), the Shannon diversity index (H¢), the Simpson dominance index (D), and the Shannon evenness index (E¢). During the sampling period a total of 21,647 individuals of ground-dwelling beetles were captured in pitfall traps, classified into 63 species, while 21 bird species were recorded as breeders. The maximum beetle abundance and diversity was observed in grassland, fallow, and cereals. The highest breeding bird density and diversity were recorded in ecotone and oak forest, with the lowest ones in fallow. Cluster analysis demonstrated that the species assemblages were classified into two categories, open agricultural and closed wooded, while follow ing the “IndVal” analysis a set of three species were identified as characteristic species of a specific habitat type. Our findings indicated that agro-ecosystems can enhance the faunal diversity of mountainous landscapes, while specific habitat types can significantly influence the species composition.

Diversity of ground-dwelling beetles within the southern Gurbantunggut Desert and its relationship with environmental factors

Diversity of ground-dwelling beetles within the southern Gurbantunggut Desert and its relationship with environmental factors

Diversity and Composition of Ground-Dwelling Beetles in Cold Temperate Zone Wetland, Nanwenghe National Reserve, Northeast China

Using pitfall traps, ground-dwelling beetle assemblages were investigated in Nanwenghe National Reserve, a typical Cold Temperate Zone wetland from Northeast China between 2009 and 2010. 9 sites comprised 3 habitat types, higher normal forest HNF, lower frozen forest LFF and lower frozen grass LFG were selected, and total of 1,289 individuals, consisting of 112 species were indentified. July and August had the peaks in diversity, richness and abundance. Rarefaction estimates of species richness indicated that traps in HNF had more species and individuals than LFF and LFG. According to the feeding habit, guilds was divided into four parts: Predators PR, Phytophagous PH, Scavengers SC, Fungivores FU, and PR&gt;PH&gt;SC&gt;FU in quantity at both species and individual level, which suggested that the ground-dwelling beetles played an important role in substances cycle and energy flow of wetland ecosystem. Eretes sticticus, Cicindela hybrida, Pentodon mongolicus etc. displayed some particularities in different habitats, so the possibility that ground-dwelling beetles as indicator of quality of wetland or habitat environment was also discussed.

The relative performance of taxonomic vs. environmental indicators for local biodiversity assessment: A comparative study

Direct diversity measurements usually require more resources and knowledge than those available, so surrogates are needed. The two main types of surrogates are environmental indicators, physical characteristics of the environment, and taxonomic indicators, a taxon or subsets of taxa used to reflect other taxa in the ecosystem. The relative merit of these two surrogate types, though hotly debated, has rarely been investigated directly. Here we compared the relative efficacy of environmental vs. taxonomic indicators in representing local scale patterns of species richness, rarity, endemism, and composition. The study was conducted in the Mediterranean ecosystem of the Jerusalem Mountains and the Judean Foothills, Israel. A detailed study of eight taxa (vascular plants, ground dwelling beetles, moths, spiders, scorpions, diplopods, small mammals, and small reptiles) and of coarse-resolution habitat types and fine-resolution environmental indicators was conducted in 40, 1000 m 2 plots representing the different habitats in the region. Fine-resolution environmental indicators generally outperformed taxonomic indicators in reflecting diversity patterns, but their performance varied considerably between taxa and diversity measures, and on average they conveyed less than 55% of the variation in diversity patterns. Coarse-resolution habitat types failed to reflect diversity patterns. Plant species richness contributed to representation of diversity patterns of some taxa, but it needs to be combined with structural aspects of the vegetation in order to improve prediction power and expand the diversity aspects addressed. Composition patterns were poorly represented by either indicator used. We conclude that fine-resolution environmental indicators are suitable for general indication of local richness, rarity, and endemism patterns in Mediterranean ecosystems. Mapping these patterns at high resolution requires direct detailed surveys, or the application of other indicators.

Linking landscape and species: Effect of shrubs on patch preference of beetles in arid and semi-arid ecosystems

Linking individual behavior to spatial population processes, may clarify the complex link between species distribution and landscape properties. We asked how shrubs affect beetles in drylands and tested if we could explain distribution patterns of beetles by individual response to shrub landscape. We studied patch preference of ground-dwelling beetles segregated in a two-phase mosaic landscape, composed of shrub-covered and open patches and hypothesized that species richness and abundance are higher under shrubs due to the ameliorated microclimatic conditions and greater food resources. Pitfall trapping showed that shrub patches were preferred in shrub poor ecosystem because there was more food available under shrubs and cooler temperatures. However, similar conditions resulted in shrub preference only in an arid ecosystem, whereas in a semi-arid ecosystem, with high cover of shrubs, we found more beetles in the open patches. Observations in beetle movement patterns explained the contradicting effects of shrub patches in the two ecosystems. Beetle movement was affected by shrubs’ shading suggesting dependency on shrub structure rather than speciesdependency. Integrating analysis of beetle distribution in the population level with analysis of individual movement provides a robust framework for linking landscape properties to species behavior and distribution in a patchy landscape.