Spatial Distribution of Carabid and Staphylinid Beetles

The study was carried out in the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve (northern part of Belarus, ca. 120 km to north-east of Minsk) in 1993-94. Pine plantations (Pinetum pleuroziosum) and adjacent decidu-ous plantations (Betuletum pteridiosum) were selected for the study. Beetles were collected using pitfall traps. The majority of dominant species were found along the entire transect. Distribution of only one carabid species, Notiophilus biguttatus, depended on the location of the plantations edge. This species was found in samples from the pine plantation only. It did not penetrate into the deciduous plantation completely. One staphylinid species, Bolitochara pulchra, was found in the deciduous planta-tion only. A zone adjacent to the edge of plantations limited distribution of two staphylinid species, Tachinus corticinus and Olophrum assimile. Edge zone influenced mainly the activity (a proxy for the abundance) of carabids and staphylinids. Carabid activity decreases at the plantations edge. That edge effect was expressed especially in activity changes of carabids Pterostichus oblongopunctatus and Calathus micropterus and staphylinid Atheta europaea. Staphylinid activity increased in the deciduous plantation. Activity of only one carabid species, Cychrus caraboides, and two staphylinids, Tachinus corticinus and Olophrum assimile, increased at the plantations edge. For effective support of species diversity the patch of deciduous plantations must have a width no less than 60-70 m. Then the populations of common in deciduous forests species can be maintained at the high level