Saproxylic beetles in tropical and temperate forests – A standardized comparison of vertical stratification patterns

0505991 - BC 2020 RIV NL eng J - Journal Article
Weiss, Matthias - Didham, R. K. - Procházka, J. - Schlaghamerský, J. - Basset, Yves - Odegaard, F. - Tichechkin, A. - Schmidl, J. - Floren, A. - Curletti, G. - Aberlenc, H.-P. - Bail, J. - Barrios, H. - Leponce, M. - Medianero, E. - Fagan, L. L. - Corbara, B. - Čížek, Lukáš
Saproxylic beetles in tropical and temperate forests – A standardized comparison of vertical stratification patterns.
Forest Ecology and Management. Roč. 444, JUL 15 (2019), s. 50-58. ISSN 0378-1127. E-ISSN 1872-7042
R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KJB600960705; GA ČR GAP504/12/1952
Grant - others:GA JU(CZ) 04-168/2013/P
Institutional support: RVO:60077344
Keywords : beetles * forest * stratification
OECD category: Entomology
Impact factor: 3.170, year: 2019
Method of publishing: Limited access
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112719303500?via%3Dihub

We compare vertical stratification and composition of saproxylic beetle assemblages between three forest types of varying altitude and latitude, including a tropical lowland forest in Panama, a temperate lowland forest and a temperate montane forest, both in the eastern Czech Republic. Beetles were sampled following a standardized sampling protocol using flight intercept traps arranged in vertical transects.
Overall, the tropical forest was estimated to harbour two to three times more saproxylic beetle species than the temperate lowland and the montane forest, respectively. However, point richness estimates within vertical strata were remarkably similar between biomes. Species richness was similar in the understorey of all three forests. It peaked in the canopy of the tropical forest but in the understorey of temperate forests. So, while the beetle assemblages were clearly vertically stratified in all three forest types, stratification patterns varied markedly between tropical and temperate forests. This trend is driven primarily by the high richness of saproxylic beetles in the tropical forest canopy. However these richness differences belie the strong similarities in stratification of feeding guild composition observed all three forest types. This would tend to suggest that similar trophic structuring forces might operate across very different forest biomes of the world.
Similarities in feeding guild composition suggest that management measures aiming at conserving biodiversity of saproxylic beetles are likely to be effective across different forest types. The differences in vertical stratification, however, suggest that understorey monitoring alone will be insufficient to understand management effects on saproxylic biodiversity. In the tropics, in particular, more emphasis will need to be placed on managing the diverse, three-dimensional structure of forest canopies as habitat for saproxylic beetles.

Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0298495