C. Y. Barsulo and K. Nakamura

Abundance and diversity of flying beetles (Coleoptera) collected by window traps in satoyama pine forests in Noto peninsula, Japan, with special reference to the management conditions: a family level analysis.

Number: 222, Pages: 1 - 23

In Noto Peninsula, red-pine (Pinus densiflora) forests were managed strictly for mushroom cultivation by raking the forest bed to remove litter and other vegetation. However, most of the pine forests have changed into mixed forests with other trees being present because they have been abandoned for several decades. This article aims to clarify the abundance and diversity of flying beetle assemblages of pine forests at a family level. In the northern tip of Noto Peninsula, the beetles were collected monthly from May to October 2009 using flight-interception traps at canopy and ground strata from 3 red-pine forests, each containing 1 pair of managed and unmanaged sites. Samplings with the same methods were carried out in 2 evergreen forests, 2 deciduous forests and 1 sugi plantation. The results obtained in the pine forests are as follows: (1) a total of 2957 beetles belonging to 51 families were collected, (2) the number of individuals was not significantly different between the managed and unmanaged sites, (3) the number of individuals collected at the canopy was larger than that at ground strata in both managed and unmanaged sites, (4) CA ordination shows that the family composition of pine forests was separated from those of other forest types (evergreen, deciduous forests and sugi plantation), (5) family composition was different between the canopy and ground strata, but not between the managed and unmanaged sites, and (6) the 5 most dominant families were Cantharidae, Elateridae, Scolytidae, Rhipiphoridae and Mordellidae regardless of strata and management conditions.

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