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

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60460709%3A41320%2F24%3A100530" target="_blank" >RIV/60460709:41320/24:100530 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/fire7030076" target="_blank" >http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/fire7030076</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/fire7030076" target="_blank" >10.3390/fire7030076</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

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

Original language description

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 x 4 x 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.

Czech name

—

Czech description

—

Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

40100 - Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries

Project

<a href="/en/project/QK23020008" target="_blank" >QK23020008: Payments for ecosystem services of forest and forestry</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2024

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Fire-Switzerland

ISSN

2571-6255

e-ISSN

2571-6255

Volume of the periodical

7

Issue of the periodical within the volume

3.0

Country of publishing house

CH - SWITZERLAND

Number of pages

16

Pages from-to

1-16

UT code for WoS article

001191578300001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85188708645