Interactive effects of vegetation and soil determine the composition and diversity of carabid and tenebrionid functional groups in an arid ecosystem

Liu, Jiliang; Sun, Tao; Ma, Lingfa; Liu, Lulu; Yang, Kun

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2016.01.009

Cited by 22 publications

(20 citation statements)

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“…As tenebrionids feed on dead plant material, the quantity and composition of litter determine species occurrence (Liu et al, ). Our results show a decline in dead biomass along the shrub cover gradient explaining the observed reduction in tenebrionids.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As tenebrionids feed on dead plant material, the quantity and composition of litter determine species occurrence (Liu et al, 2016).…”

Section: Tenebrionidaementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast to these vertebrate taxa with large home ranges, ground-dwelling beetles have been shown to be particularly sensitive to subtle habitat changes, even at local and small scales (Liu et al, 2016;Pryke, 2016). For example, tenebrionid diversity responded significantly to small spatial changes in plant diversity in a semi-arid, agricultural landscape in Israel (Yaacobi, Ziv, & Rosenzweig, 2007).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Shrub encroachment is not always land degradation: Insights from ground‐dwelling beetle species niches along a shrub cover gradient in a semi‐arid Namibian savanna

et al. 2018

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Shrub encroachment in semi‐arid savannas is induced by interacting effects of climate, fire suppression, and unsustainable livestock farming; it carries a severe risk of land degradation and strongly influences natural communities that provide key ecosystem functions. However, species‐specific effects of shrub cover on many animal groups that act as indicators of degradation remain largely unknown. We analysed the consequences of shrub encroachment for ground‐dwelling beetles in a semi‐arid Namibian savanna rangeland, where beetles and vegetation were recorded along a shrub cover gradient (<1% to >30%). Focusing on species niche breadths and optima, we identified two crucial shrub cover thresholds (2.9% and 10.0%), corresponding to major changes in the beetle communities with implications for savanna ecosystem functioning. Niche optima of most species were between the first and second thresholds; beyond the second threshold, saprophagous, coprophagous, and rare predatory beetles declined in numbers and diversity. This is problematic because beetles provide important ecosystem functions, such as decomposition and nutrient cycling. However, we also found that certain species were adapted to high shrub cover, thus providing examples of niche differentiation. Despite the predominantly negative effects of heavy shrub encroachment on beetle communities, shrubs in their early life stages apparently provide essential structures, which enhance habitat quality for ground‐dwelling beetles. Our results demonstrate that shrub encroachment can have mixed effects on ground‐dwelling beetle communities and hence on savanna ecosystem functioning. We, therefore, conclude that rangeland management and restoration should consider the complex trade‐offs between species‐specific effects and the level of encroachment for sustainable land use.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As tenebrionids feed on dead plant material, the quantity and composition of litter determine species occurrence (Liu et al, 2016).…”

Section: Tenebrionidaementioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Shrub encroachment is not always land degradation: Insights from ground‐dwelling beetle species niches along a shrub cover gradient in a semi‐arid Namibian savanna

et al. 2018

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“…The vegetation and vegetation-soil interactions are important determinants of beetle community assemblies. The vegetation changes had stronger effects on the functional group composition than changes in the soil did (Liu et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…Shrub cover and herbaceous species richness were shown to be the best drivers of detritivore and herbivore beetle community species composition. For predator species composition, shrub height and cover were found to be the best predictors (Liu et al, 2016). The herbivorous and predatory arthropods' range characteristics were shown to be correlated with both diet breadth (Brandle et al, 2002;Beck & Kitching, 2007) and habitat breadth (Brandle et al, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temperature effect on the temporal dynamic of terrestrial invertebrates in technosols formed after reclamation at a post-mining site in Ukrainian steppe drylands

et al. 2019

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The research was carried out at the Research Centre of the Dnipro State Agrarian and Economic University in Pokrov city. Sampling was carried out in 2013–2015 on a variant of artificial soil (technosols) formed on loess-like loam, red-brown clay, green-grey clay, technological mixture of rocks, and also formed on loess-like loam with a humus-rich 70 cm top soil layer. To investigate the spatiotemporal variation in the abundance, species richness and species composition of invertebrate assemblages within the experimental polygon, the animals were sampled using pitfall traps. In total, 60 pitfall traps were operated simultaneously during each sampling period. Each year the pitfalls were emptied 26 times every 7–9 days. Invertebrates (Arthropoda and Mollusca) of 6 classes, 13 orders, 50 families and 202 species or parataxonomic units were recorded. Diplopoda was most abundant taxonomic group, though it was represented by only one species Rossiulus kessleri (Lohmander, 1927). Coleoptera and Araneae were the most numerous taxonomic groups. Readily available water for plants, precipitation, wind speed, atmospheric temperature (daily minimum, daily maximum, daily mean), atmospheric humidity and atmospheric pressure were used as environmental predictors. Two dimension geographic coordinates of the sampling locations were used to generate a set of orthogonal eigenvector-based spatial variables. Time series of sampling dates were used to generate a set of orthogonal eigenvector-based temporal variables. The moisture content in the technosols was revealed to be the most important factor determining the temporal dynamics of the terrestrial invertebrate community in conditions of semi-arid climate and the ecosystem which formed as a result of the reclamation process. Following soil moisture, the factor most strongly affecting invertebrates in the technosols was temperature. From the total set of the invertebrates, two relatively homogeneous species groups in terms of thermal preferences were extracted: the microtemperature and mesotemperature groups. The microtemperature species are more tolerant to the thermal factor, and the mesotemperature species are more sensitive. The Huisman-Olff-Fresco approach expanded by Jansen-Oksanen provides a wide set of ecologically relevant models which are able to explain species response. The species response to temperature is affected by a complex of other environmental, temporal and spatial factors. The effect of other factors on the species response must be previously extracted to find real estimations of the species temperature optima and tolerance. The approaches to solving this problem may be the object of future investigation.

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Shrub cover expressed as an ‘arthropod island’ in xeric environments

Liu

Pen-Mouratov

Steinberger

2016

Arthropod-Plant Interactions

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Interactive effects of vegetation and soil determine the composition and diversity of carabid and tenebrionid functional groups in an arid ecosystem

Cited by 22 publications

References 50 publications

Shrub encroachment is not always land degradation: Insights from ground‐dwelling beetle species niches along a shrub cover gradient in a semi‐arid Namibian savanna

Shrub encroachment is not always land degradation: Insights from ground‐dwelling beetle species niches along a shrub cover gradient in a semi‐arid Namibian savanna

Temperature effect on the temporal dynamic of terrestrial invertebrates in technosols formed after reclamation at a post-mining site in Ukrainian steppe drylands

Shrub cover expressed as an ‘arthropod island’ in xeric environments

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