engleski

Edge effects on carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) across forest-meadow ecotones of Dinaric beech-fir forests

Carabid beetles were studied across forest-meadow ecotones of Dinaric beech-fir forests, in the Gorski Kotar region of western Croatia in April-September 2009. Beetles were collected by pitfall traps along gradients that extended 60 m from the forest edge into the forest interior and 60 m into the meadow. A total of 20, 526 individuals belonging to 66 carabid beetle species were recorded. No edge effect was found at the carabid beetle assemblage level, i.e. species richness and diversity were not statically significantly higher in the ecotones as compared to the forest interior and meadow. However, an edge effect was detected at the species level and at the level of species ecological traits. Therefore, both positive and negative responses of carabid species towards the ecotones were observed. Furthermore, embedded forest edges acted as barriers for most open habitat species, while for some forest species they acted as filters. Carabid assemblages in the ecotones were more similar to assemblages in the forest interior than to assemblages in the meadows. Soil temperature, soil humidity and canopy openness did not differ significantly between ecotones and forest interior, providing stable microclimate conditions for the carabid assemblages of the forest interior. Therefore, forest specialists occurred all the way to the forest edge. It appears that vegetation structure and edge ages play a key role in determining the spatial pattern of carabid beetles across forest-meadow ecotones.

ecotones; forest edge; ground beetles

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