The effect of habitat structure on carabid communities during the regeneration of a native Scottish forest

• Published in: Forest ecology and management 1999-06, Vol.119 (1), p.123-136
• Main Authors: Ings, T.C, Hartley, S.E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: botanical composition; British Isles, Scotland; Caledonian pinewoods; Calluna; Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA); Carabidae; communities; ecological succession; Erica; forests; ground cover; Habitat structure; habitats; heathlands; height; Moorlands; mosses and liverworts; natural regeneration; plant characteristics; shade; soil organic matter; species diversity; Species richness; stand density; tree age; vegetation
• ISSN: 0378-1127; 1872-7042
• DOI: 10.1016/S0378-1127(98)00517-9

This study investigates the effects of habitat structure on the ground beetle (Coleoptera, Carabidae) community composition of a regenerating native forest in the Deeside region of northeast Scotland. The composition of the carabid communities of the different habitats ranging from open heather moor to mature stages of pine and birch regeneration was strongly influenced by vegetation composition and structure; specifically, tree height and density, amount of moss, Calluna + Erica cover, vegetation depth, and soil organic matter content. Two separate communities were apparent in this study, comprising species of woodland and/or shady habitats with dense vegetation, and species of dryer open habitats. Carabid species richness was highest in the open habitats and lowest in the woodland habitats; the presence of young pine trees had little effect on diversity, but as tree size increased, diversity fell whilst mean catch size increased. It is suggested that to preserve the conservation value of Scottish uplands for carabid beetles whilst restoring native Scottish forests, a mosaic of the different stages of regeneration interspersed with tracts of open moorland is required.