Large‐scale sampling of beetle communities in Laos shows that conversion of natural forests into plantations leads to a decline in family richness and abundance
Abstract Rapid economic development can pose a threat to the biodiversity of tropical countries. In Laos, this is manifested by the conversion of natural forests into plantations, even though this area is one of the biodiversity hotspots of Southeast Asia. Beetle communities can be good indicators o...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10258 |
| _version_ | 1797357943869407232 |
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| author | Bounsanong Chouangthavy Yoan Fourcade |
| author_facet | Bounsanong Chouangthavy Yoan Fourcade |
| author_sort | Bounsanong Chouangthavy |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Rapid economic development can pose a threat to the biodiversity of tropical countries. In Laos, this is manifested by the conversion of natural forests into plantations, even though this area is one of the biodiversity hotspots of Southeast Asia. Beetle communities can be good indicators of the impact of anthropogenic pressure on natural ecosystems. In this study, we analyzed for the first time a large‐scale inventory of Coleoptera to assess the ecological and anthropogenic drivers of beetle communities in Laos. We examined beetle communities (described at the family level) across the country, located in distinct habitat types, in order to understand the impact of the conversion of natural forest into plantations. We found that beetle abundance had declined in plantations compared to natural forests. At the same time, we observed fewer beetle families in plantations overall, but at the scale of sampling sites there was no difference in local richness compared to natural forests, suggesting a homogenization of beetle communities in anthropogenic habitats. Although results are certainly sensitive to our coarse classification of beetle specimens into families, the negative impact of the conversion of natural tropical forests into agriculture area can still be clearly demonstrated. Our findings highlight that it is possible to make use of unstructured large‐scale inventories to explore how beetle communities responds to landscape changes induced by human activities. We suggest that sampling beetle communities can be used as an ecological indicator to monitor anthropogenic impacts on tropical ecosystems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:52:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c3d9a705127741db96a8dd63524061f6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:52:47Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-c3d9a705127741db96a8dd63524061f62024-01-11T02:50:01ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582023-07-01137n/an/a10.1002/ece3.10258Large‐scale sampling of beetle communities in Laos shows that conversion of natural forests into plantations leads to a decline in family richness and abundanceBounsanong Chouangthavy0Yoan Fourcade1Entomology Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture National University of Laos Vientiane LaosUniv. Paris Est Creteil, Sorbonne Université, Univ Paris Cité, CNRS, IRD, INRAE Institut d'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement, IEES Créteil FranceAbstract Rapid economic development can pose a threat to the biodiversity of tropical countries. In Laos, this is manifested by the conversion of natural forests into plantations, even though this area is one of the biodiversity hotspots of Southeast Asia. Beetle communities can be good indicators of the impact of anthropogenic pressure on natural ecosystems. In this study, we analyzed for the first time a large‐scale inventory of Coleoptera to assess the ecological and anthropogenic drivers of beetle communities in Laos. We examined beetle communities (described at the family level) across the country, located in distinct habitat types, in order to understand the impact of the conversion of natural forest into plantations. We found that beetle abundance had declined in plantations compared to natural forests. At the same time, we observed fewer beetle families in plantations overall, but at the scale of sampling sites there was no difference in local richness compared to natural forests, suggesting a homogenization of beetle communities in anthropogenic habitats. Although results are certainly sensitive to our coarse classification of beetle specimens into families, the negative impact of the conversion of natural tropical forests into agriculture area can still be clearly demonstrated. Our findings highlight that it is possible to make use of unstructured large‐scale inventories to explore how beetle communities responds to landscape changes induced by human activities. We suggest that sampling beetle communities can be used as an ecological indicator to monitor anthropogenic impacts on tropical ecosystems.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10258agriculturebeetlesbiodiversitydeforestationlandscape contextsrapid change |
| spellingShingle | Bounsanong Chouangthavy Yoan Fourcade Large‐scale sampling of beetle communities in Laos shows that conversion of natural forests into plantations leads to a decline in family richness and abundance Ecology and Evolution agriculture beetles biodiversity deforestation landscape contexts rapid change |
| title | Large‐scale sampling of beetle communities in Laos shows that conversion of natural forests into plantations leads to a decline in family richness and abundance |
| title_full | Large‐scale sampling of beetle communities in Laos shows that conversion of natural forests into plantations leads to a decline in family richness and abundance |
| title_fullStr | Large‐scale sampling of beetle communities in Laos shows that conversion of natural forests into plantations leads to a decline in family richness and abundance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Large‐scale sampling of beetle communities in Laos shows that conversion of natural forests into plantations leads to a decline in family richness and abundance |
| title_short | Large‐scale sampling of beetle communities in Laos shows that conversion of natural forests into plantations leads to a decline in family richness and abundance |
| title_sort | large scale sampling of beetle communities in laos shows that conversion of natural forests into plantations leads to a decline in family richness and abundance |
| topic | agriculture beetles biodiversity deforestation landscape contexts rapid change |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10258 |
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