Specialist carabids in mixed montane forests are positively associated with biodiversity-oriented forestry and abundance of roe deer
The ongoing transition within forest management towards more biodiversity-oriented practices, such as close-to-nature forestry and retention forestry, may benefit forest fauna such as forest-specialized ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae). However, it remains unclear how forest carabids are joint...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2024-04-01
|
| Series: | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989424000258 |
| _version_ | 1797272466280677376 |
|---|---|
| author | João M. Cordeiro Pereira Sebastian Schwegmann Clàudia Massó Estaje Martin Denter Grzegorz Mikusiński Ilse Storch |
| author_facet | João M. Cordeiro Pereira Sebastian Schwegmann Clàudia Massó Estaje Martin Denter Grzegorz Mikusiński Ilse Storch |
| author_sort | João M. Cordeiro Pereira |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The ongoing transition within forest management towards more biodiversity-oriented practices, such as close-to-nature forestry and retention forestry, may benefit forest fauna such as forest-specialized ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae). However, it remains unclear how forest carabids are jointly affected by these practices in Central European montane forests, which host particularly sensitive, range-restricted carabid species, and where biodiversity-oriented forestry is widely applied. Moreover, roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), the most common large herbivore in these forests, is intensively managed to reduce browsing pressure, but it is yet unknown how this may affect carabids, alongside the effect of silviculture. On 66 1-ha plots in the Black Forest region of Germany, we sampled carabids with pitfall traps, measured roe deer abundances using camera trapping, and measured several structural variables directly related to close-to-nature and retention practices, as well as variables describing microclimate and landscape-level forest cover. We found that the carabid assemblage was dominated by forest specialists, with little influence from fragmentation of the surrounding forest. Higher broadleaf share (and canopy cover for montane specialists) was correlated with higher carabid activity-density. Increasing stand maturity (and lying deadwood volume for montane specialists), was correlated with higher species richness. Plots with higher roe deer abundances showed higher carabid richness and activity-density. Assemblage composition changed along the altitudinal gradient, and both richness and activity-density increased with elevation. Thus, carabid communities, including montane specialists and several species of conservation interest, stand to benefit from close-to-nature and retention practices, if applied throughout the altitude range of montane forests. Forest carabids may additionally profit from maintaining higher roe deer abundances, but further research is needed to understand this causal link, as well as to weigh the costs and benefits of deer culling for forest biodiversity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:28:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1d1d0476c1e447dfab138df7bbab2976 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2351-9894 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:28:45Z |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| spelling | doaj.art-1d1d0476c1e447dfab138df7bbab29762024-03-06T05:27:21ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942024-04-0150e02821Specialist carabids in mixed montane forests are positively associated with biodiversity-oriented forestry and abundance of roe deerJoão M. Cordeiro Pereira0Sebastian Schwegmann1Clàudia Massó Estaje2Martin Denter3Grzegorz Mikusiński4Ilse Storch5Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Management, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Str. 4, 79106 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany; Corresponding author.Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Management, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Str. 4, 79106 Freiburg im Breisgau, GermanyDepartment of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, GermanyChair of Remote Sensing and Landscape Information Systems, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Str. 4, 79106 Freiburg im Breisgau, GermanySchool for Forest Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 43, SE-739 21 Skinskatteberg, SwedenChair of Wildlife Ecology and Management, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Str. 4, 79106 Freiburg im Breisgau, GermanyThe ongoing transition within forest management towards more biodiversity-oriented practices, such as close-to-nature forestry and retention forestry, may benefit forest fauna such as forest-specialized ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae). However, it remains unclear how forest carabids are jointly affected by these practices in Central European montane forests, which host particularly sensitive, range-restricted carabid species, and where biodiversity-oriented forestry is widely applied. Moreover, roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), the most common large herbivore in these forests, is intensively managed to reduce browsing pressure, but it is yet unknown how this may affect carabids, alongside the effect of silviculture. On 66 1-ha plots in the Black Forest region of Germany, we sampled carabids with pitfall traps, measured roe deer abundances using camera trapping, and measured several structural variables directly related to close-to-nature and retention practices, as well as variables describing microclimate and landscape-level forest cover. We found that the carabid assemblage was dominated by forest specialists, with little influence from fragmentation of the surrounding forest. Higher broadleaf share (and canopy cover for montane specialists) was correlated with higher carabid activity-density. Increasing stand maturity (and lying deadwood volume for montane specialists), was correlated with higher species richness. Plots with higher roe deer abundances showed higher carabid richness and activity-density. Assemblage composition changed along the altitudinal gradient, and both richness and activity-density increased with elevation. Thus, carabid communities, including montane specialists and several species of conservation interest, stand to benefit from close-to-nature and retention practices, if applied throughout the altitude range of montane forests. Forest carabids may additionally profit from maintaining higher roe deer abundances, but further research is needed to understand this causal link, as well as to weigh the costs and benefits of deer culling for forest biodiversity.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989424000258Ground beetlesUngulatesSustainable forest managementMulti-purpose forestryCentral Europe |
| spellingShingle | João M. Cordeiro Pereira Sebastian Schwegmann Clàudia Massó Estaje Martin Denter Grzegorz Mikusiński Ilse Storch Specialist carabids in mixed montane forests are positively associated with biodiversity-oriented forestry and abundance of roe deer Global Ecology and Conservation Ground beetles Ungulates Sustainable forest management Multi-purpose forestry Central Europe |
| title | Specialist carabids in mixed montane forests are positively associated with biodiversity-oriented forestry and abundance of roe deer |
| title_full | Specialist carabids in mixed montane forests are positively associated with biodiversity-oriented forestry and abundance of roe deer |
| title_fullStr | Specialist carabids in mixed montane forests are positively associated with biodiversity-oriented forestry and abundance of roe deer |
| title_full_unstemmed | Specialist carabids in mixed montane forests are positively associated with biodiversity-oriented forestry and abundance of roe deer |
| title_short | Specialist carabids in mixed montane forests are positively associated with biodiversity-oriented forestry and abundance of roe deer |
| title_sort | specialist carabids in mixed montane forests are positively associated with biodiversity oriented forestry and abundance of roe deer |
| topic | Ground beetles Ungulates Sustainable forest management Multi-purpose forestry Central Europe |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989424000258 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT joaomcordeiropereira specialistcarabidsinmixedmontaneforestsarepositivelyassociatedwithbiodiversityorientedforestryandabundanceofroedeer AT sebastianschwegmann specialistcarabidsinmixedmontaneforestsarepositivelyassociatedwithbiodiversityorientedforestryandabundanceofroedeer AT claudiamassoestaje specialistcarabidsinmixedmontaneforestsarepositivelyassociatedwithbiodiversityorientedforestryandabundanceofroedeer AT martindenter specialistcarabidsinmixedmontaneforestsarepositivelyassociatedwithbiodiversityorientedforestryandabundanceofroedeer AT grzegorzmikusinski specialistcarabidsinmixedmontaneforestsarepositivelyassociatedwithbiodiversityorientedforestryandabundanceofroedeer AT ilsestorch specialistcarabidsinmixedmontaneforestsarepositivelyassociatedwithbiodiversityorientedforestryandabundanceofroedeer |