TY - JOUR

T1 - Habitat modelling for the conservation of the rare ground beetle species Carabus variolosus (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in the riparian zones of headwaters

AU - Matern, Andrea

AU - Drees, Claudia

AU - Kleinwachter, Meike

AU - Aßmann, Thorsten

N1 - Funding Information: The authors are grateful to the ABU Soest and the forestry office of the Arnsberger Wald for supporting their work and to the authorities of Arnsberg and Soest for their permission. We thank three anonymous referees for their valuable comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript. A.M. is funded by the Scholarship Programme of the German Federal Environmental Foundation, DBU.

PY - 2007/5/1

Y1 - 2007/5/1

N2 - Carabus variolosus is a highly endangered insect which is listed in the EC Habitats and Species Directive. Detailed knowledge of the habitat requirements of this semi-aquatic woodland carabid beetle is needed if effective conservation and management strategies are to be developed. Previous habitat models have proved to be a successful analytical and predictive tool for the conservation of species. We conducted an intensive study over a two year period on two extant C. variolosus populations in Westphalia (Germany) using live capture pitfall traps. We analysed the distribution of the beetles over their main activity period in relation to a large number of edaphic and vegetation variables in order to estimate habitat suitability models and describe optimum ranges. C. variolosus is restricted to the fringes of water bodies and to areas of high soil moisture that display patches of bare soil, shows a slight preference for sparse tree vegetation, and avoids acidic soil. Temporal and spatial transferability of the statistically significant habitat models indicates their robustness and validity. Based on the results of our study, we suggest management measures for the conservation of C. variolosus, which promote the rehabilitation of natural flood plains of headwater areas.

AB - Carabus variolosus is a highly endangered insect which is listed in the EC Habitats and Species Directive. Detailed knowledge of the habitat requirements of this semi-aquatic woodland carabid beetle is needed if effective conservation and management strategies are to be developed. Previous habitat models have proved to be a successful analytical and predictive tool for the conservation of species. We conducted an intensive study over a two year period on two extant C. variolosus populations in Westphalia (Germany) using live capture pitfall traps. We analysed the distribution of the beetles over their main activity period in relation to a large number of edaphic and vegetation variables in order to estimate habitat suitability models and describe optimum ranges. C. variolosus is restricted to the fringes of water bodies and to areas of high soil moisture that display patches of bare soil, shows a slight preference for sparse tree vegetation, and avoids acidic soil. Temporal and spatial transferability of the statistically significant habitat models indicates their robustness and validity. Based on the results of our study, we suggest management measures for the conservation of C. variolosus, which promote the rehabilitation of natural flood plains of headwater areas.

KW - Biology

KW - habitat suitability model

KW - habitat selection

KW - carabidae

KW - Woodland brooks

KW - Springs Species conservation

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33947430614&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/9c295807-508f-37ed-a089-5092c10a65cf/

U2 - 10.1016/j.biocon.2007.01.006

DO - 10.1016/j.biocon.2007.01.006

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 136

SP - 618

EP - 627

JO - Biological Conservation

JF - Biological Conservation

SN - 0006-3207

IS - 4

ER -