Effects of abiotic factors on co-occurring Carabus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) species
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Effects of abiotic factors on co-occurring Carabus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) species Dávid Fülöp 1
&
Sándor Bérces 2,3
&
Péter Szabó 4
&
Ferenc Samu 1
Received: 14 November 2019 / Accepted: 3 September 2020 # The Author(s) 2020
Abstract The members of the genus Carabus are among the most intensively studied beetle taxa, but many aspects of their autecology are still unexplored. We aimed to study the relationship between measured abiotic parameters and the spatial and temporal distribution of signature carabid species. Carabus assemblages were sampled by pitfalls at six sites belonging to two nearby locations, both forest habitats: in valley and in hill-top position. The sites showed variation in microclimatic and soil characteristics, to which the seven species caught showed specific spatial associations. Carabus scheidleri and C. coriaceus were ubiquitists, occurring at all sites. The habitat specialist C. violaceus germari indicated valley sites with high humidity, lower temperature, limy soil and higher pH, whereas the other specialists, C. nemoralis and C. convexus were strongly associated with the dry, warm, more acidic hill habitat. Remaining species were associated with specific sites and environmental features. The species also exhibited specific phenological patterns corresponding with their habitat preference. Hill habitat species exhibited peak activity density during the hottest summer period, whereas most other species had an activity depression during that period. The results suggest that although Carabus activity density patterns are species specific, they are largely affected by temperature both spatially and temporally. Keywords Ground beetles . Humidity . Temperature . Soil features . Activity . Sex ratio
Introduction Modelling the influence of environmental abiotic factors on ecosystem functioning can be a difficult task, thus, the understanding of the abiotic drivers on biodiversity is the key to understand and predict the effects of climate change on species assemblages (De Laender et al. 2016). In this regard, ground dwelling invertebrates are ideal model organisms. Their changing phenology can be one of the first signs that
* Dávid Fülöp [email protected] 1
Department of Zoology, Plant Protection Institute, ELKH Centre for Agricultural Research, Nagykovácsi út 26-30, Budapest H-1029, Hungary
2
Juhász-Nagy Pál Doctoral School, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, Debrecen H-4032, Hungary
3
Duna-Ipoly National Park Directorate, Költő u. 21, Budapest H-1121, Hungary
4
CER Institute of Evolution (IE), Karolina út 29, Budapest H-1113, Hungary
makes environmental changes detectable (Eisenhauer et al. 2018). Although the first experiments dealing with the importance of abiotic factors influencing the activity of ground beetles date back to 1930’s (Turin et al. 2003b), only a few papers deal with measured environmental factors affecting the otherwise relatively well studied genus Carabus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) (Cardenas and Hidalgo 2000; Kádár et al. 2017; Park et
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