Responses of ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) assemblages to stand characteristics and landscape structure in riparian poplar forests

Many carabid beetles are among the most important biocontrol agents and are biological indicators of environmental change, although relatively little is known about how local and landscape factors affect forest ground beetle assemblages. Understanding such effects of multi-scale environmental drivers on ground beetles can promote carabid diversity and conservation. Ground beetles were sampled by pitfall trapping in 40 poplar forest stands (sampling plots) along the Irtysh River in Northwestern China. We investigated responses of carabid activity density, species diversity and functional diversity (FD) to stand characteristics and surrounding landscape structure (the overall diversity and percentage cover of vegetation productivity classes in the surrounding area of each sampling plot based on normalised difference vegetation index). While carabid activity density only responded positively to the overall diversity of vegetation productivity classes, carabid species diversity was positively associated with this landscape factor as well as vegetation cover but negatively associated with the nearest distance from sampling plot to the river. Only carabid FD responded significantly to percentage cover of vegetation productivity classes, showing a positive correlation with the proportion of medium vegetation productivity. Furthermore, overall carabid FD declined with increasing tree canopy cover. Our results can help predicting spatial patterns of ground beetles according to landscape diversity and proportions of surrounding vegetation types and improve the design of conservation strategies (such as altering canopy cover) of carabids, especially forest specialist species. Any forest management strategies for promoting carabid diversity should consider the pervasive effects of landscape composition and configuration besides local stand characteristics.

Automated summary

This study conducted sampling of ground beetles in 40 poplar forest stands in Northwestern China, revealing that the activity density, species diversity, and functional diversity of ground beetles are influenced by surrounding vegetation types and landscape factors. Results showed that carabid activity density only responded positively to the overall diversity of vegetation productivity classes, while carabid species diversity was associated with vegetation cover and distance to the nearest river. Carabid functional diversity was positively correlated with the proportion of medium vegetation productivity, but overall functional diversity declined with increasing tree canopy cover.