Response of saproxylic beetles to small-scale habitat connectivity depends on trophic levels

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Response of saproxylic beetles to small-scale habitat connectivity depends on trophic levels. / Buse, Jörn; Entling, Martin H.; Ranius, Thomas et al.
In: Landscape Ecology, Vol. 31, No. 5, 01.06.2016, p. 939-949.

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Buse J, Entling MH, Ranius T, Assmann T. Response of saproxylic beetles to small-scale habitat connectivity depends on trophic levels. Landscape Ecology. 2016 Jun 1;31(5):939-949. doi: 10.1007/s10980-015-0309-y

Bibtex

@article{30e0c32d06074d05a200bcbf1c2f1301,
title = "Response of saproxylic beetles to small-scale habitat connectivity depends on trophic levels",
abstract = "Context: According to the trophic-rank hypothesis, species may be differentially affected by habitat isolation due to their trophic position in the food chain, i.e. high-order trophic levels may be more negatively affected than low-order levels. Objectives: The aim of this paper is to study how species richness, abundance and composition of saproxylic beetle communities are affected by patch (=tree) quality and small-scale patch connectivity. Following the trophic-rank hypothesis, we expected predators to be more negatively affected by patch isolation than wood-feeding beetles. Methods: We studied the beetle community, patch connectivity and patch quality on 28 large oaks. Different connectivity measures were calculated using 50 m-buffers around trees and using distances to the five nearest trees. Results: Beetle species richness increased with the diameter of oaks, i.e. patch quality. No evidence of the trophic-rank hypothesis was found for species richness patterns. In accordance with the trophic-rank hypothesis, abundance of predatory beetles increased with patch connectivity but lower trophic levels were unaffected or even decreased with patch connectivity. Conclusions: The structure of invertebrate communities on trees changes with small-scale patch connectivity due to a differential response of low-order and high-order trophic levels. Isolated trees are more exposed to the sun than the more connected trees, which may affect the beetles; however, it was impossible to distinguish the microclimatic from the spatial effects. Although scattered trees generally have a higher conservation value than trees in forests, we conclude that forest trees may be more important for certain trophic levels.",
keywords = "Forest management, Forest structure, Scattered trees, Trophic-rank hypothesis, Wood-inhabiting beetles, Sustainability Science, Geography, Environmental planning",
author = "J{\"o}rn Buse and Entling, {Martin H.} and Thomas Ranius and Thorsten Assmann",
year = "2016",
month = jun,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1007/s10980-015-0309-y",
language = "English",
volume = "31",
pages = "939--949",
journal = "Landscape Ecology",
issn = "0921-2973",
publisher = "SPB Academic Publishing",
number = "5",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Response of saproxylic beetles to small-scale habitat connectivity depends on trophic levels

AU - Buse, Jörn

AU - Entling, Martin H.

AU - Ranius, Thomas

AU - Assmann, Thorsten

PY - 2016/6/1

Y1 - 2016/6/1

N2 - Context: According to the trophic-rank hypothesis, species may be differentially affected by habitat isolation due to their trophic position in the food chain, i.e. high-order trophic levels may be more negatively affected than low-order levels. Objectives: The aim of this paper is to study how species richness, abundance and composition of saproxylic beetle communities are affected by patch (=tree) quality and small-scale patch connectivity. Following the trophic-rank hypothesis, we expected predators to be more negatively affected by patch isolation than wood-feeding beetles. Methods: We studied the beetle community, patch connectivity and patch quality on 28 large oaks. Different connectivity measures were calculated using 50 m-buffers around trees and using distances to the five nearest trees. Results: Beetle species richness increased with the diameter of oaks, i.e. patch quality. No evidence of the trophic-rank hypothesis was found for species richness patterns. In accordance with the trophic-rank hypothesis, abundance of predatory beetles increased with patch connectivity but lower trophic levels were unaffected or even decreased with patch connectivity. Conclusions: The structure of invertebrate communities on trees changes with small-scale patch connectivity due to a differential response of low-order and high-order trophic levels. Isolated trees are more exposed to the sun than the more connected trees, which may affect the beetles; however, it was impossible to distinguish the microclimatic from the spatial effects. Although scattered trees generally have a higher conservation value than trees in forests, we conclude that forest trees may be more important for certain trophic levels.

AB - Context: According to the trophic-rank hypothesis, species may be differentially affected by habitat isolation due to their trophic position in the food chain, i.e. high-order trophic levels may be more negatively affected than low-order levels. Objectives: The aim of this paper is to study how species richness, abundance and composition of saproxylic beetle communities are affected by patch (=tree) quality and small-scale patch connectivity. Following the trophic-rank hypothesis, we expected predators to be more negatively affected by patch isolation than wood-feeding beetles. Methods: We studied the beetle community, patch connectivity and patch quality on 28 large oaks. Different connectivity measures were calculated using 50 m-buffers around trees and using distances to the five nearest trees. Results: Beetle species richness increased with the diameter of oaks, i.e. patch quality. No evidence of the trophic-rank hypothesis was found for species richness patterns. In accordance with the trophic-rank hypothesis, abundance of predatory beetles increased with patch connectivity but lower trophic levels were unaffected or even decreased with patch connectivity. Conclusions: The structure of invertebrate communities on trees changes with small-scale patch connectivity due to a differential response of low-order and high-order trophic levels. Isolated trees are more exposed to the sun than the more connected trees, which may affect the beetles; however, it was impossible to distinguish the microclimatic from the spatial effects. Although scattered trees generally have a higher conservation value than trees in forests, we conclude that forest trees may be more important for certain trophic levels.

KW - Forest management

KW - Forest structure

KW - Scattered trees

KW - Trophic-rank hypothesis

KW - Wood-inhabiting beetles

KW - Sustainability Science

KW - Geography

KW - Environmental planning

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84947705035&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s10980-015-0309-y

DO - 10.1007/s10980-015-0309-y

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:84947705035

VL - 31

SP - 939

EP - 949

JO - Landscape Ecology

JF - Landscape Ecology

SN - 0921-2973

IS - 5

ER -