The diameter of beech snags is an important factor for saproxylic beetle richness: Implications for forest management and conservation

Zumr, Václav; Nakládal, Oto; Bílek, Lukáš; Remeš, Jiří

doi:10.1016/j.fecs.2023.100143

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 93 publications

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“…Snag characteristics such as diameter, height or decay stage had no significant effects on beetle richness, while Red List species seemed to avoid snags with low diameters and prefer snags with intermediate to high decay stages. Previous studies showed positive correlations between snag diameter and total as well as Red List species numbers [20,33,34], although in other analyses, diameter was a less important determinant [18,35]. However, the lacking effects may also be due to a limited range of diameters investigated in these studies, suggesting that size effects might be more pronounced when including higher diameters [18], which were less frequent in our study.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 79%

The Potential of Artificial Snags to Promote Endangered Saproxylic Beetle Species in Bavarian Forests

Lackner,

Reger,

Tobisch

et al. 2024

Diversity

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The creation of artificial snags, so-called high stumps, within forest management operations is a recently established tool to enrich standing deadwood as a habitat for saproxylic species. In this study, we analysed the impact of active high stump management on saproxylic beetle species. We selected 63 high stumps in six Bavarian forest districts (Germany), which were felled and subjected to close examination, focusing on beetle (Coleoptera) colonization. We identified 63 emerged coleopteran species belonging to 29 families; a further 10 taxa were identified only at the genus or family level, respectively. Moreover, 17% of the obtained taxa are listed in the German Red List of Coleoptera. Furthermore, 32% of the examined high stump trunks, predominantly broad-leaved tree species, harboured Red List beetle taxa. In particular, trembling aspen (Populus tremula) showed a disproportionately high number of Red List beetle species. The total species richness of beetles was independent of the height, diameter and decay stage of the snags. High stumps (snags) containing Red List beetle species tended to have higher amounts of deadwood in their surroundings, but the difference was not significant. According to the results of our study, actively creating high stumps proved to be a suitable method for creating habitats and serve as stepping-stones for endangered saproxylic species. Proactive high stump management during harvest can be a valuable component of deadwood management and biodiversity protection in forests.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 79%

The Potential of Artificial Snags to Promote Endangered Saproxylic Beetle Species in Bavarian Forests

Lackner,

Reger,

Tobisch

et al. 2024

Diversity

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“…Sample-based rarefaction, following the methodology outlined in [71] and focusing on Hill numbers q = 0 (species richness) and q = 1 (the exponential of Shannon's entropy index) and q = 2 (the inverse of Simpson's concentration index), using package "iNEXT" [72], was used to evaluate gamma diversity through species richness curves. The incidence data approach, commonly employed in entomology studies, e.g., [7,73], was applied, utilizing 200 bootstrap replicates.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Drier and warmer periods contribute to wildfires [3] due to the weakened health of forest stands [2,4], making them more susceptible to wind disturbances and bark beetle gradations. Although permanently present dead wood is essential for forest biodiversity [5][6][7] and provides numerous ecosystem services [8][9][10][11], it also creates fuel for the spread of fires [12,13]. In Europe, forest fires are relatively infrequent, yet historically, they constituted a significant aspect of landscape settlement [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Zumr,

Remeš,

Nakládal

2024

Fire

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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.

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“…The trapping liquid (main component is water) are used with several different preservatives. Frequently used liquids are the following: brine ( Sebek et al, 2016 ; Weiss et al, 2021 ), propylene glycol liquid ( Joelsson, Hjältén & Work, 2018 ; Zumr et al, 2023 ), copper sulfate solution ( Leidinger et al, 2021 ; Rothacher et al, 2023 ) or even the very toxic formaldehyde ( Sroka & Finch, 2006 ). Further research could be aimed at verifying whether these liquids affect the trapping results.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trapping liquids may bias the results of beetle diversity assessment

Nakládal,

Havránková,

Zumr

2023

PeerJ

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Several different techniques and methods are used to capture and study beetles (Coleoptera). One option is the use of window traps with various trapping liquids. However, these liquids used in comparative studies may have a biasing effect on the results. The effectiveness of the frequently used liquid baits, involving beer, wine, vinegar, and water as the reference liquid, was compared in this study. Twenty-four traps were assigned to two habitat categories (sunny and shady) and four kinds of bait: beer, wine, vinegar, and water. During the study from June to July 2021, a total of 29,944 invertebrates were captured; of these, 3,931 individuals belonged to Coleoptera. A total of 3,825 beetles were identified, belonging to 120 species and 36 families. The most abundant family was Nitidulidae, with 3,297 adults (86% of the total). The number of arthropods differed only in the trapping liquid, and the captures were similar between beer and wine and between vinegar and water. The trapping liquid had a more significant effect on beetle abundance and species richness. In contrast, exposure had a significant effect only on the number of beetle species and a higher ratio of beetles was found in the shade. Beer and wine were very attractive and collected similar beetle communities. However, the diversity (Shannon’s index) was low due to the high abundance of several species. Traps with vinegar and water collected a similar composition and species richness. After removing sap beetles (Nitidulidae) from all traps, a significant difference was still recorded between trapping liquids in the number of individuals and species, and their communities were much more similar. Thus, at high abundances of sap beetles, it is possible to exclude them from analyses and obtain more accurate data when assessing environmental variables. The results showed that the type of trapping liquids used can have substantial effects on abundance and species composition captured beetles in traps especially for beer and wine. The beer and wine in traps can significantly influence the subsequent biodiversity assessment. We recommend the use of trapping liquids without the baiting effect to correctly assess the effect of environmental variables on beetle richness and abundance.

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The diameter of beech snags is an important factor for saproxylic beetle richness: Implications for forest management and conservation

Cited by 8 publications

References 93 publications

The Potential of Artificial Snags to Promote Endangered Saproxylic Beetle Species in Bavarian Forests

The Potential of Artificial Snags to Promote Endangered Saproxylic Beetle Species in Bavarian Forests

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

Trapping liquids may bias the results of beetle diversity assessment

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