Canadian Forest Service Publications
Short-term effects of three forestry practices on carabid assemblages in a jack pine forest. 1997. Beaudry, S.; Duchesne, L.C.; Cote, B. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 27: 2065-2071.
Year: 1997
Issued by: Great Lakes Forestry Centre
Catalog ID: 9631
Language: English
Availability: PDF (request by e-mail)
Abstract
The effects of clear-cutting alone and clear-cutting followed by prescribed burning or scarification on carabid beetle assemblages were investigated. Based on earlier studies, we hypothesized that each ofthese forestry practices would produce a different carabid assemblage on a short-term basis (1-2 years) and that carabid diversity, abundance, and species richness would increase with the intensity of site preparation. Carabids were sampled in a jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) forest throughout the 1992 growing season using pitfall traps. A total of 5970 adult carabids, belonging to 26 genera and 83 species, were collected. Disturbed stands had similar or higher Shannon-Wiener diversities, number of catches, and number of carabid species when compared with undisturbed forest. Amara and Harpailis species were found almost exclusively in disturbed sites. Clear-cutting followed by prescribed burning tended to have the greatest impact on carabid assemblages. Prescribed burning seemed particularly favourable for Syntomus americanus (Dejean), Agonum placid11m (Say), Amara erratica (Duftschmid), Amara convexa LeConte, Amara laevipennis Kirby, and Cicindela purpurea Olivier whereas clear-cutting in general was associated with reduced catches of Calathus gregarius (Say), Calathus ingratus Dejean, Calosomafrigidum Kirby, Cymindis limbatus Dejean, Myas cyanescens Dejean, Pterostichus pensylvanicus LeConte, and Pterostichus tristis (Dejean). Our results suggest that the presence of regenerating sites with and without prescribed burning among the jack pine forest could contribute to the preservation ofcarabid diversity, although islands ofmature forest may be necessary to avoid extermination of some old-growth carabid species.