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Contrasting functional structure of saproxylic beetle assemblages associated to different microhabitats.

ABSTRACT: Saproxylic beetles depend on diverse microhabitats that are exploited by different species assemblages. We focused on anlyse the functional trait patterns and functional diversity components of two main assemblages that were collected with window traps (WTs) and hollow emergence traps (HETs) respectively, between three protected areas of the Iberian Peninsula. For that we measured phenological, physiological, morphological, and ecological traits. Results showed that the main microhabitats exploited by each assemblage (WT and HET) constrain most of the morphological traits and trophic guilds. In addition, relative elytra length and predator guild, together with adult activity period, responded to differences at the habitat level (among study areas). HET assemblages were less taxonomically diverse but more functionally diverse than those of WTs, enhancing the functional relevance of tree hollows. Additionally, niche filtering dominated WT assemblages, which were characterised by a narrower functional space and a higher redundancy. In contrast, in the HET assemblages the coexistence of functionally dissimilar species is driven by the niche heterogeneity. HET and WT assemblages differed in the functional space occupied by each within areas, but both assemblages reflected coincident patterns among areas that pointed to a reduction of functional space with management.

SUBMITTER: Mico E

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6992628 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Contrasting functional structure of saproxylic beetle assemblages associated to different microhabitats.

Micó Estefanía E Ramilo Pablo P Thorn Simon S Müller Jörg J Galante Eduardo E Carmona Carlos P CP

Scientific reports 20200130 1

Saproxylic beetles depend on diverse microhabitats that are exploited by different species assemblages. We focused on anlyse the functional trait patterns and functional diversity components of two main assemblages that were collected with window traps (WTs) and hollow emergence traps (HETs) respectively, between three protected areas of the Iberian Peninsula. For that we measured phenological, physiological, morphological, and ecological traits. Results showed that the main microhabitats exploi ...[more]

PMID: 32001786

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Project description:Windstorms, bark beetle outbreaks and fires are important natural disturbances in coniferous forests worldwide. Wind-thrown trees promote biodiversity and restoration within production forests, but also cause large economic losses due to bark beetle infestation and accelerated fungal decomposition. Such damaged trees are often removed by salvage logging, which leads to decreased biodiversity and thus increasingly evokes discussions between economists and ecologists about appropriate strategies. To reveal the reasons behind species loss after salvage logging, we used a functional approach based on four habitat-related ecological traits and focused on saproxylic beetles. We predicted that salvage logging would decrease functional diversity (measured as effect sizes of mean pairwise distances using null models) as well as mean values of beetle body size, wood diameter niche and canopy cover niche, but would increase decay stage niche. As expected, salvage logging caused a decrease in species richness, but led to an increase in functional diversity by altering the species composition from habitat-filtered assemblages toward random assemblages. Even though salvage logging removes tree trunks, the most negative effects were found for small and heliophilous species and for species specialized on wood of small diameter. Our results suggested that salvage logging disrupts the natural assembly process on windthrown trees and that negative ecological impacts are caused more by microclimate alteration of the dead-wood objects than by loss of resource amount. These insights underline the power of functional approaches to detect ecosystem responses to anthropogenic disturbance and form a basis for management decisions in conservation. To mitigate negative effects on saproxylic beetle diversity after windthrows, we recommend preserving single windthrown trees or at least their tops with exposed branches during salvage logging. Such an extension of the green-tree retention approach to windthrown trees will preserve natural succession and associated communities of disturbed spruce forests.

Project description:Management of forest for wood production has altered ecosystem structures and processes and led to habitat loss and species extinctions, worldwide. Deadwood is a key resource supporting forest biodiversity, and commonly declines following forest management. However, different forest management methods affect dead wood differently. For example, uneven-aged silviculture maintains an age-stratified forest with ongoing dead wood production, while even-aged silviculture breaks forest continuity, leading to long periods without large trees. We asked how deadwood-dependent beetles respond to different silvicultural practices and if their responses depend on deadwood volume, and beetles preference for decay stages of deadwood. We compared beetle assemblages in five boreal forest types with different management strategies: clearcutting and thinning (both representing even-aged silviculture), selective felling (representing uneven-aged silviculture), reference and old growth forest (both uneven-aged controls without a recent history [~50 years] of management, but the latter with high conservation values). We collected beetles using window traps and by sieving the bark from experimental logs (bolts). Beetle assemblages on clear-cuts differed from all other stand types, regardless of trapping method or decay stage preference. Thinning differed from reference stands, indicating incomplete recovery after clear-cutting, while selective felling differed only from clear-cuts. In contrast to our predictions, early and late successional species responded similarly to different silvicultural practices. However, there were indications of marginal assemblage differences both between thinned stands and selective felling and between thinned and old growth stands (p = 0.10). The stand volume of early decay stage wood influenced assemblage composition of early, but not late successional species. Uneven-aged silviculture maintained species assemblages similar to those of the reference and old growth stands and might therefore be a better management option when considering biodiversity conservation.

Project description:AimBeta diversity describes the variation in species composition between sites and can be used to infer why different species occupy different parts of the globe. It can be viewed in a number of ways. First, it can be partitioned into two distinct patterns: turnover and nestedness. Second, it can be investigated from either a species identity or a functional-trait point of view. We aim to document for the first time how these two aspects of beta diversity vary in response to a large environmental gradient.LocationMaloti-Drakensberg Mountains, southern Africa.MethodsWe sampled ant assemblages along an extensive elevational gradient (900-3000 m a.s.l.) twice yearly for 7 years, and collected functional-trait information related to the species' dietary and habitat-structure preferences. We used recently developed methods to partition species and functional beta diversity into their turnover and nestedness components. A series of null models were used to test whether the observed beta diversity patterns differed from random expectations.ResultsSpecies beta diversity was driven by turnover, but functional beta diversity was composed of both turnover and nestedness patterns at different parts of the gradient. Null models revealed that deterministic processes were likely to be responsible for the species patterns but that the functional changes were indistinguishable from stochasticity.Main conclusionsDifferent ant species are found with increasing elevation, but they tend to represent an increasingly nested subset of the available functional strategies. This finding is unique and narrows down the list of possible factors that control ant existence across elevation. We conclude that diet and habitat preferences have little role in structuring ant assemblages in montane environments and that some other factor must be driving the non-random patterns of species turnover. This finding also highlights the importance of distinguishing between different kinds of beta diversity.

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Contrasting functional structure of saproxylic beetle assemblages associated to different microhabitats.

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Contrasting functional structure of saproxylic beetle assemblages associated to different microhabitats.

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