Abstract
This study aimed at the effects of habitat age on the reproductive rate of three ground beetle species that are common and widely distributed in forest ecosystems of Europe (Abax parallelepipedus (Pill. & Mitt.), Pterostichus oblongopunctatus (F.), Pterostichus burmeisteri (Heer.)). The study sites comprised comparable age classes, i.e., young stands, mature stands, and mature forests with upcoming and established natural regeneration of four different forest types, namely pure stands of spruce and Douglas fir, and mixed stands of spruce-beech and oak-beech. As an indicator for the reproductive rate of female beetles, the number of ripe eggs in the ovaries and the duration of the reproduction period were investigated from captures of pitfall trapping (n = 8 per site). The dissection of a total of 1236 females uncovered 1704 eggs. A broad spectrum of environmental factors including microclimate (temperature, humidity, precipitation), soil parameters (moisture, pH, thickness and coverage of litter layer) and vegetation characteristics (coverage of moss, herb, grass, shrub and natural regeneration, degree of canopy closure) was assessed to reveal the relevant factors influencing the reproductive success.
Within the forest types, the egg-load of the ground beetle species showed statistically significant relations to the age of the stand type. For A. parallelepipedus, a quite uniform reaction pattern was evident with significantly higher egg-loads in the mature forests compared to the young stands. This was accompanied by a longer duration of the reproduction period. A stronger influence of the forest type was obvious for the egg-load of Pt. oblongopunctatus and Pt. burmeisteri. The reproductive rate was generally increasing with temperature aspects in forest sites and was significantly influenced by moisture parameters. The mean maximum temperature of the habitat cared for most of the variation in A. parallelepipedus (61.4%), while the mean minimum temperature explained 60.7% of the reproductive potential in Pt. oblongopunctatus. The variation of Pt. burmeisteri was best explained by the humidity of the air (49.4%).Thus, the results of our study emphasize the role of abiotic parameters on the reproductive rate of ground beetles.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Antvogel, H. and A. Bonn. 2001. Environmental parameters and mircospatial distribution of insect: a case study of carabids in an alluvial forest. Ecography 24:470–482.
Baars, M.A. 1979. Patterns of movement of radioactive carabid beetles. Oecologia 44:125–140.
Barone, M. and T. Frank. 2003. Habitat age increases reproduction and nutritional condition in a generalist arthropod predator. Oecologia 135:78–83.
Begon, M.E., J.L. Harper and C.R. Townsend. 1996. Ecology, 3rd ed. Blackwell Science, Oxford.
Bernado, J. 1996. Matrenal effects in animal ecology. Am. Zool. 36:83–105.
Bilde, T. and S. Toft. 1998. Quantifying food limitation of arthropod predators in the field. Oecologia. 115:54–58.
Bommarco, R. 1998. Stage sensitivity to food limitation for a generalist arthropod predator. Environ. Entomol. 27:863–869.
Bommarco, R. 1999. Feeding, reproduction and community impact of a predatory carabid in two agricultural habitats. Oikos 87:89–96.
Brown, V.K. and T.R.E. Southwood. 1987. Secondary succession patterns and strategies. In: A. J. Gray, M. J. Crawley and P. J. Edwards (eds), Colonization, Succession and Stability. Blackwell, Oxford. pp. 315–339.
Brunsting, A.M.H. 1981. Distribution patterns, life cycle and phenology of Pterostichus oblongopunctatus F. (Col., Carabidae) and Philonthus decorus Grav. (Col., Staphylinidae). Neth. J. Zool. 31:418–452.
Brunsting, A.M.H. 1983. The locomotor activity of Pterostichus oblongopunctatus F. (Col., Carabidae). Neth. J. Zool. 33:189–210.
Butterfield, J. 1997. Carabid community succession during the forestry cycle in conifer plantations. Ecography 20:614–625.
Butterfield, J., M.L. Luff, M. Baines and M.D. Eyre. 1995. Carabid beetle communities asindicatorsof conservation potentialin upland forests. For. Ecol. Manage. 79:63–77.
Dajoz, R. 2000. Insects and Forests – The Role and Diversity of Insects in the Forest Environment. Editions Tec & Doc, London.
Den Boer, P.J. 1968. Spreading of risk and stabilization of animal numbers. Acta Biotheoretica 18:165–194.
Denys, C. and T. Tscharntke. 2002. Plant-insect communities and predator-prey ratios in field margin strips, adjacent crop fields, and fallows. Oecologia. 130:315–324.
Dempster, J.P. and E. Pollard. 1981. Fluctuations in resource availability and insect populations. Oecologia 50:412–416.
Ernsting, G. and F.A. Huyer. 1984. A laboratory study on temperature relations of egg production and development in two related species of carabid beetle. Oecologia 62:361–367.
Ernsting, G. and J.A. Isaak. 1997. Effects of temperature and season on egg size, hatchling size and adult size in Notiophilus biguttatus. Ecol. Entomol. 22:32–40.
Ernsting, G. and J.A. Isaak. 2000. Ectotherms, temperature, and trade-offs: size and number of eggs in a carabid beetle. Am. Nat. 155:804–813.
Ernsting, G., J.A. Isaaks and M.P. Berg. 1992. Life cycle and food availability indices in Notiophilus biguttatus (Coleoptera, Carabidae). Ecol. Entomol. 17:33–42.
Eyre, M.D. and M.L. Luff. 1990. The ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) assemblages of British grasslands. Entomologist’s Gazette 41:197–208.
Fagan, W.F. 1992. Cursorial spiders and succession: age or habitat structure? Oecologia 92:215–221.
Grüm, L. 1984. Carabid fecundity as affected by extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Oecologia 65:114–121.
Heessen, H.J.L. 1980. Egg production of Pterostichus oblongopunctatus (Fabricius) (Col., Carabidae) and Philonthus decorus (Gravenhorst) (Col., Staphylinidae). Neth. J. Zool. 30:35–53.
Heessen, H.J.L. and A.M.H. Brunsting. 1981. Mortality of Larvae of Pterostichus oblongopunctatus (Fabricius) (Col., Carabidae) and Philonthus decorus (Gravenhorst) (Col., Staphylinidae). Neth. J. Zool. 31:729–745.
Heessen, H.J.L., M.A. Wildschut and A.M.H. Brunsting. 1982. Duration of the developmental stages and timing of the end of the reproductive season of Pterostichus oblongopunctatus (Fabricius) (Col., Carabidae) and Philonthus decorus (Gravenhorst) (Col., Staphylinidae). Neth. J. Zool. 32:49–62.
Heyborne, W.H., J.C. Miller and G.L. Parsons. 2003. Ground dwelling beetles and forest vegetation change over a 17-year-period, in western Oregon, USA. For. Ecol. Manage. 179:123–134.
Huk, T. and B. Kühne. 1999. Substrate selection by Carabus clatratus (Coleoptera, Carabidae) and its consequences for offspring development. Oecologia 121:348–354.
Hurd, L. and W.F. Fagan. 1992. Cursorial spiders and succession: age or habitat structure? Oecologia 92:215–221.
Huey, R.B. and D. Berrigan. 2001. Temperature, demography, and ectotherm fitness. Am. Nat. 158:204–210.
Ings, T.C. and S.E. Hartley. 1999. The effect of habitat structure on carabid communities during the regeneration ofa native Scottish forest. For. Ecol. Manage. 119:123–136.
Juliano, S.A. 1986. Food limitation of reproduction and survival for populations of Brachinus (Coleoptera: Carabidae). Ecology 67:1036–1045.
Koch, K. 1989. Die Käfer Mitteleuropas. Vol. 1 Ökologie. Goecke and Evers, Krefeld.
Koivula, M., P. Punttila, Y. Haila and J. Niemelä. 1999. Leaf litter and the small-scale distribution of carabid beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in the boreal forest. Ecography 22:424–435.
Lenski, R. 1982. Effects of forest cutting on two Carabus species: Evidence for competition for food. Ecology 63:1211–1217.
Lenski, R. 1984. Food limitation and competition: a field experiment with two carabid species. J. Anim. Ecol. 53:203–216.
Loreau, M. 1986. Niche differentiation and community organization in forest Carabid beetles. In: P.J. den Boer, M.L. Luff, D. Mossakowski and F. Weber (eds.), Carabid Beetles. Fischer, Stuttgart. pp. 465–487.
Magura, T., B. Tóthmérész and Z. Elek. 2003. Diversity and composition of carabids during a forestry cycle. Biodivers. Conserv. 12:73–85.
Magura, T., B. Tóthmérész and Z. Elek. 2004. Effects of leaf-litter addition on carabid beetles in a non-native norway spruce plantation. Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 50:9–23.
Magura, T., B. Tóthmérész and Z. Elek. 2006. Changes in carabid beetle assemblages as Norway spruce plantations age. Community Ecol. 7:1–12.
Molnár, T., T. Magura, B. Tóthmérész and Z. Elek. 2001. Ground beetles (Carabidae) and edge effect in oak-hornbeam forest and grassland transects. Eur. J. Soil Biol. 37:297–300.
Mols, P.J.M. 1979. Motivation and walking behaviour of the carabid beetle Pterostichus coerulescens L. at different densities and distributions of the prey. A preliminary report. Misc. Papers LH Wageningen 18:185–198.
Mols, P.J.M. 1988. Simulation of hunger, feeding and egg production in the carabid beetle Pterostichus coerulescens L. (=Poecilus versicolor Sturm). Agric. Univ. Wageningen Pap. 88:1–99.
Mühlenberg, M. 1989. Freilandökologie. Quelle & Meyer Verlag, Heidelberg, Wiesbaden.
Niemelä, J., Y. Haila and P. Punttila. 1996. The importance of smallscale heterogeneity in boreal forests: variation in diversity in forest-floor invertebrates across the succession gradient. Ecography 19:352–368.
Paarmann, W. 1966. Vergleichende Untersuchungen über die Bindung zweier Carabidenarten (P. angustatus Dft. und P. oblongopunctatus F.) an ihre verschiedenen Lebensräume. Z. Wiss. Zool. Abt: A. 174:83–176.
Paquin, P. and D. Coderre. 1997. Changes in soil macroarthropod communities in relation to forest maturation through three successional stages in the Canadian boreal forest. Oecologia 112:104–111.
Pearson, D.L. and C.B. Knisley. 1985. Evidence for food as a limiting resource in the life cycle of tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae). Oikos 45:161–168.
Rainio, J. and J. Niemelä. 2003. Ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) as bioindicators. Biodivers. Conserv. 12:487–506.
Reise, K. and G. Widemann. 1975. Dispersion of predatory forest floor arthropods. Pedobiologia 15:106–128.
Renner, M. 1999. Kükenthal’s Leitfaden für das Zoologische Praktikum, 23rd ed. Fischer, Stuttgart.
Rudolf, V.H.W. and M.O. Rödel. 2005. Oviposition site selection in a complex and variable envrionment: the role of habitat quality and conspecific cues. Oecologia 142:316–325.
Sanderson, R.A., S.P. Rushton, A.J. Cherrill and J.P. Byrne. 1995. Soil, vegetation and space: An analysis of their effects on the invertebrate communities of a moorland in north-east England. J. Appl. Ecol. 32:506–518.
Scheffer, F. and P. Schachtschnabel. 1989. Lehrbuch der Bodenkunde. F. Enke Verlag, Stuttgart.
Schneider, D.W. 1997. Predation and food web structure along a habitat duration gradient. Oecologia 110:567–575.
Sota, T. 1985. Limitation of reproduction by feeding condition in a carabid beetle, Carabus yaconinus. Res. Popul. Ecol. 27:171–184.
Southwood, T.R.E., V.K. Brown and P.M. Reader. 1979. The relationship of plant and insect diversities in succession. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 12:327–348.
Szyszko, J., H.J.W. Vermeulen and P.J. den Boer. 1996. Survival and reproduction in relation to habitat quality and food availability for Pterostichus oblongopunctatus F. (Carabidae, Col.). Acta Jutlandica 71:25–40.
Thiele, H.U. 1975. Interactions between photoperiodism and temperature with respect to the control of dormancy in the adult stage of Pterostichus oblongopunctatus F. (Col., Carabidae). Oecologia 19:39–47.
Thiele, H.U. 1977. Carabid Beetles in their Environments. Springer, Berlin.
Trautner, J., G. Müller-Motzfeld and M. Bräunicke. 1997. Rote Liste der Sandlaufkäfer und Laufkäfer Deutschlands (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae et Carabidae). 2. Fassung, Stand Dezember 1996. Naturschutz und Landschaftsplanung 29:261–273.
Van Dijk, T.S. 1979. On the relationship between reproduction, age and survival in two carabid beetles: Calathus melanocephalus L. and Pterostichus coerulescens L. Oecologia 40:63–80.
Van Dijk, T.S. 1981. The influence of food and temperature on the amount of reproduction in carabid beetles. How to translate the results of laboratory experiments into the reality of the field? In: P. Brandmayer, P. J. Den Boer and F. Weber (eds.), The Synthesis of Field and Laboratory Experiment. Pudoc, Wageningen, pp. 105–123.
Van Dijk, T.S. 1982. On the relationship between availability offood and fecundity in carabid beetles: How far is the number of eggs in the ovaries a measure of the quantities of food in the field? In: P. J. den Boer, L. Grüm and J. Szyszko (eds.), Fifth Meeting of European Carabidologists at Stara Brda Pilska. Warsaw Agr, U. Press. pp. 105–121.
Van Dijk, T.S. 1983. The influence of food and temperature on the amount of reproduction in carabid beetles. How to translate the results of laboratory experiments into the reality of the field? In: P. Brandmayer, P. J. Den Boer and F. Weber (eds), The Synthesis of Field and Laboratory Experiment. Pudoc, Wageningen, pp. 105–123.
Van Dijk, T.S. 1986a. How to estimate the level of food availability in field populations of carabid beetles? In: P. J. Den Boer, M. L. Luff, D, Mossakowski and F. Weber (eds.), Carabid Beetles, their Adaptions and Dynamics. Fischer, Stuttgart. pp. 371–384.
Van Dijk, T.S. 1986b. On the relationship between availability of food and fecuncity in carabid beetles: How far is the number of eggs in the ovaries a measure of the quanities of food in the field? In: P. den Boer, L. Grüm and J. Szysko (eds.) Feeding Behaviour and Accessibility of Food for Carabid Beetles. Warsaw Agricultural University Press, Warsaw. pp. 105–121.
Van Dijk, T.S. 1994. On the relationship between food, reproduction and survival of two carabid beetles: Calathus melanocephalus and Pterostichus versicolor. Ecol. Entomol. 19:263–270.
Van Dijk, T.S. and P.J. den Boer. 1992. The life histories and population dynamics of two carabid species in a Dutch heathland. Oecologia 90:340–352.
Van Heerdt, P.F., B. Blokhuis and C. van Haaften. 1976. The reproductive cycle and age composition of a population of Pterostichus oblongopunctatus (Fabricius) in the Netherlands (Coleoptera: Carabidae). Tijdschrift voor Entomologie:1–13.
Wallin, H., P.A. Chiverton, B.S. Ekbom and A. Borg. 1992. Diet, fecundity and egg size in some polyphagous predatory carabid beetles. Entomol. Exp. Appl. 65:129–140.
White, T.C.R. 1978. The importance of a relative shortage of food in animal ecology. Oecologia 33:71–86.
Ziesche, T., G. Förster and M. Roth. 2004. Die Lebensraumfunktion von Wäldern für Gliederfüßer (Arthropoda): Einfluss der Baumarten und des Bestandesalters. In: Mosandl, R. and B. Felbermeier (eds.), Ökosystem Management. Vol. 1. Verlag B. Felbermeier, Weilheim. pp. 27–37.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.
About this article
Cite this article
Ziesche, T., Roth, M. Is the age of forest habitats affecting the reproductive rate of generalist predatory ground beetle species?. COMMUNITY ECOLOGY 8, 183–194 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1556/ComEc.8.2007.2.5
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1556/ComEc.8.2007.2.5