TY - JOUR

T1 - Ground beetle fauna of flower strips and forest edges in northern German lowlands’ conventional agricultural landscapes (Coleoptera, Carabidae)

AU - Grabener, Swantje

AU - Boutaud, Estève

AU - Drees, Claudia

AU - Gürlich, Stephan

AU - Härdtle, Werner

AU - Husemann, Lena

AU - Kubiak, Martin

AU - Laschke, Christin Juno

AU - Remmers, Sina

AU - Zumstein, Pascale

AU - Assmann, Thorsten

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © Grabener S et al.

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - Background Ground beetles are present in most terrestrial ecosystems and fulfil key functions, especially as many species are important predators, contributing to natural pest control in agricultural landscapes. However, intensive agriculture, which combines monocultures and synthetic inputs, has been shown to have negative effects on insect diversity and abundance. To counteract insect decline, numerous measures are being implemented and tested at national scales. These also include flower strips which might have the potential to provide suitable habitats and connect beneficial insects’ populations across agricultural landscapes. Especially if flower strips are located along forest edges, they could reinforce synergy functions and, by that, reduce the barrier effect of conventional agricultural fields. Within the framework of a two-year project, ground beetles were assessed in corn fields [Zea mays, Linnaeus 1753], grown for biogas production, with or without a two-seed mixture flower strip as well as in the adjacent forest. Study sites were situated within conventional fields typical for the agricultural landscapes in northern German lowlands in direct proximity to the Nature Reserve Lüneburger Heide. New information We provide data on 34,413 specimens belonging to 93 ground beetle species. None of these species is evaluated in the IUCN Red List at the European level, but four species have been classified as being Near Threatened within Germany. At the level of the Federal State Lower Saxony, four species are classified as Endangered, nine species as Vulnerable and one as Near Threatened, highlighting the importance of this dataset also for conservation purposes. This dataset contributes to the knowledge of Central European carabid diversity and distribution, especially within agricultural landscapes. It supports the development of national and European Red Lists. Despite all sites being placed within conventional corn fields, the study area is in direct proximity to the Nature Reserve Lüneburger Heide where threatened heath landscapes exhibit rare carabid species, which could possibly benefit from adapted agricultural management strategies at its borders or even disperse via suitable corridors provided.

AB - Background Ground beetles are present in most terrestrial ecosystems and fulfil key functions, especially as many species are important predators, contributing to natural pest control in agricultural landscapes. However, intensive agriculture, which combines monocultures and synthetic inputs, has been shown to have negative effects on insect diversity and abundance. To counteract insect decline, numerous measures are being implemented and tested at national scales. These also include flower strips which might have the potential to provide suitable habitats and connect beneficial insects’ populations across agricultural landscapes. Especially if flower strips are located along forest edges, they could reinforce synergy functions and, by that, reduce the barrier effect of conventional agricultural fields. Within the framework of a two-year project, ground beetles were assessed in corn fields [Zea mays, Linnaeus 1753], grown for biogas production, with or without a two-seed mixture flower strip as well as in the adjacent forest. Study sites were situated within conventional fields typical for the agricultural landscapes in northern German lowlands in direct proximity to the Nature Reserve Lüneburger Heide. New information We provide data on 34,413 specimens belonging to 93 ground beetle species. None of these species is evaluated in the IUCN Red List at the European level, but four species have been classified as being Near Threatened within Germany. At the level of the Federal State Lower Saxony, four species are classified as Endangered, nine species as Vulnerable and one as Near Threatened, highlighting the importance of this dataset also for conservation purposes. This dataset contributes to the knowledge of Central European carabid diversity and distribution, especially within agricultural landscapes. It supports the development of national and European Red Lists. Despite all sites being placed within conventional corn fields, the study area is in direct proximity to the Nature Reserve Lüneburger Heide where threatened heath landscapes exhibit rare carabid species, which could possibly benefit from adapted agricultural management strategies at its borders or even disperse via suitable corridors provided.

KW - agriculture

KW - Barber

KW - corn fields

KW - corridors

KW - datasets

KW - ecosystem services

KW - pest management

KW - pitfall traps

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105017281514&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3897/BDJ.13.e161282

DO - 10.3897/BDJ.13.e161282

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 40909414

AN - SCOPUS:105017281514

VL - 13

JO - Biodiversity Data Journal

JF - Biodiversity Data Journal

SN - 1314-2836

M1 - e161282

ER -