Forest edge and carabid diversity in a Carpathian beech forest

Máthé, I. (2006) Forest edge and carabid diversity in a Carpathian beech forest. Community Ecology, 7 (1). pp. 91-97. ISSN 1585-8553

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Abstract

Diversity relationships of carabids in forest edges and the neighbouring forest interior and the surrounding grassland were studied. Samples were taken along three replicated forest-grassland transects using pitfall traps in the Várghis-valley (Harghita County, Romania). The study revealed significant edge effect on the carabids. Both the number of species and the Shannon diversity of carabids were significantly higher in the forest edge than in the grassland and in the forest interior. The forest was also significantly more species rich and more diverse by Shannon diversity than the grassland. Carabids of the forest interior, forest edge and grassland can be separated from each other by ordination based on abundances, suggesting that all three habitats have a distinct species assemblage. Indicator species analysis detected significant edge associated species. Our results show that the high diversity of carabids in forest edges is due both to the edge-associated species and the presence of species characteristic of the adjacent habitats.

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