Synchronous population fluctuations of forest and field voles: implications for population management

Tkadlec, E., Suchomel, J., Purchart, L., Heroldová, M., Čepelka, L., Homolka, M

Vole impact on tree regeneration: insights into forest management

Heroldová, M., Homolka, M., Tkadlec, E., Kamler, J., Suchomel, J., Purchart, L., Krojerová, J., Barančeková, M., Turek, K., Baňař, M

The value of plantation forests for plant, invertebrate and bird diversity and the potential for cross-taxon surrogacy

As the area of plantation forest expands worldwide and natural, unmanaged forests decline there is much interest in the potential for planted forests to provide habitat for biodiversity. In regions where little semi-natural woodland remains, the biodiversity supported by forest plantations, typically non-native conifers, may be particularly important. Few studies provide detailed comparisons between the species diversity of native woodlands which are being depleted and non-native plantation forests, which are now expanding, based on data collected from multiple taxa in the same study sites. Here we compare the species diversity and community composition of plants, invertebrates and birds in Sitka spruce- (Picea sitchensis-) dominated and Norway spruce- (Picea abies-) dominated plantations, which have expanded significantly in recent decades in the study area in Ireland, with that of oak- and ash-dominated semi-natural woodlands in the same area. The results show that species richness in spruce plantations can be as high as semi-natural woodlands, but that the two forest types support different assemblages of species. In areas where non-native conifer plantations are the principle forest type, their role in the provision of habitat for biodiversity conservation should not be overlooked. Appropriate management should target the introduction of semi-natural woodland characteristics, and on the extension of existing semi-natural woodlands to maintain and enhance forest species diversity. Our data show that although some relatively easily surveyed groups, such as vascular plants and birds, were congruent with many of the other taxa when looking across all study sites, the similarities in response were not strong enough to warrant use of these taxa as surrogates of the others. In order to capture a wide range of biotic variation, assessments of forest biodiversity should either encompass several taxonomic groups, or rely on the use of indicators of diversity that are not species based

Effects of contaminated mining sites on ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in Central Europe

In an area disturbed by long-term extraction of ores of non-ferrous metals as well as by their preparation and processing, unexplained effects of heavy metals (Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd) of different soil concentrations and various degrees of vegetation cover on the species diversity and abundance of ground beetles habitat specialists and generalists in heavily changed forest ecosystems were monitored so far. We found that in environments characterized by extreme concentrations of heavy metals some forest specialists may prefer poorly wooded sites to fully wooded sites in an effort to avoid contaminated environment. Nevertheless, the majority of species remain good site indicators even under these conditions. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that all monitored variables had more or less significant effects on the spatial activity of ground beetles at the species level. Vegetation cover differentiating the species spectrum into forest and open habitat specialists proved to be a decisive factor. The analysis also revealed that forest specialists and generalists were, in addition to cover, associated with Mn concentrations and, on the contrary, responded negatively to the presence of Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn and high pH values. Open-habitat specialists were associated reversely

Biodiversity and phylogeny of arid-adapted darkling beetle in the subfamily Pimeliinae (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

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Phylogeny and patterns of diversification in darkling beetles (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae)

International audienc

Phylogeny of Pimeliinae: progress and surprises

International audienceA phylogeny of the Tenebrionidae subfamily Pimeliinae was reconstructed based on 420 taxa and 629 genetic loci from 33 of the 38 pimeliine tribes. The majority ofrepresented tribes were recovered as monophyletic, with a few interesting exceptions. Pimeliinae as a whole was recovered as non-monophyletic, though further analyses with additional outgroup taxa are needed to confirm this finding. Additional revisionary work at the generic level is clearly needed within several species-rich tribes (ex. Asidini, Adesmiini, Edrotini, Sepidiini)

Reevaluation of Blapimorpha and Opatrinae : addressing a major phylogeny‐classification gap in darkling beetles ( Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Blaptinae )

International audienceThe taxonomic concepts of Blapimorpha and Opatrinae (informal and traditional, morphology-based groupings among darkling beetles) are tested using molecular phylogenetics and a reassessment of larval and adult morphology to address a major phylogeny-classification gap in Tenebrionidae. Instead of a holistic approach (family-level phylogeny), this study uses a bottom-up strategy (tribal grouping) in order to define larger, monophyletic lineages within Tenebrioninae. Sampling included representatives of 27 tenebrionid tribes: Alleculini, Amarygmini, Amphidorini, Blaptini, Bolitophagini, Branchini, Cerenopini, Coniontini, Caenocrypticini, Dendarini, Eulabini, Helopini, Lagriini, Melanimini, Opatrini, Pedinini, Phaleriini, Physogasterini, Platynotini, Platyscelidini, Praociini, Scaurini, Scotobiini, Tenebrionini, Trachyscelini, Triboliini and Ulomini. Molecular analyses were based on DNA sequence data from four non-overlapping gene regions: carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase domain of rudimentary (CAD) (723 bp), wingless (wg) (438 bp) and nuclear ribosomal 28S (1101 bp) and mitochondrial ribosomal 12S (363 bp). Additionally, 15 larval and imaginal characters were scored and subjected to an ancestral state reconstruction analysis. Results revealed that Amphidorini, Blaptini, Dendarini, Pedinini, Platynotini, Platyscelidini and Opatrini form a clade which can be defined by the following morphological features: adults—antennae lacking compound/stellate sensoria; procoxal cavities externally and internally closed, intersternal membrane of abdominal ventrites 3–5 visible; paired abdominal defensive glands present, elongate, not annulated; larvae—prolegs enlarged (adapted for digging); ninth tergite lacking urogomphi. To accommodate this monophyletic grouping (281 genera and ∼4000 species), the subfamily Blaptinae sens. nov. is resurrected. Prior to these results, all of the tribes within Blaptinae were classified within the polyphyletic subfamily Tenebrioninae. The non-monophyletic nature of Terebrioninae has already been postulated by previous authors, yet no taxonomic decisions were made to fix its status. The reinstatement of Blaptinae, which groups ∼50% of the former Tenebrioninae, helps to clarify phylogenetic relations among the whole family and is the first step towards a complete higher-level revision of Tenebrionidae. The Central Asian tribe Dissonomini (two genera, ∼30 species) was not included in Blaptinae due to a lack of representatives in the performed phylogenetic analyses; however, based on morphological features, the tribe is listed as a potential addition to the subfamily

Tackling the historical biogeography and evolution of a speciose family of Coleoptera

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