Impacts of non-native spruce plantation on the carabids in the Bükk mountains (Coleoptera: Carabidae)
Abstract
The impacts of non-native Norway spruce plantation on the abundance and species richness of carabids were studied in the Bükk mountains in Hungary. Pitfall catches from recently established (5 yrs old), young (15 yrs), middle-aged (30 yrs), old Norway spruce (Picea abies) plantation (50 yrs), and a native beech forest (Fagetum sylvaticae) as a control stand were compared. Our results showed that the species richness of carabids was significantly lower in the plantations than in the native beech forest. Species composition was homogeneous in the beech forest. Beta-diversity of the 15-30 yrs old plantations was also low, and it increased slightly towards ageing. Heterogeneity of the species composition of the 5 year-old plantation was higher than that o f the others, which was induced by increased patchiness of the young plantation. Main tendencies of the compositional changes were as follows: Deciduous forest specialists decreased significantly in abundance in the plantations, and they appeared in high abundance only in the beech forest. Species characteristic of open habitats increased remarkably in abundance in the recently established plantation. Our results emphasise that reforestation has significant effect on abundance and species richness of carabids.
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