Early effect of clear−cuts and their tilling on assemblages of epigeic rove beetles (Coloeoptera, Staphylinidae) in Pinus sylvetris stands

WOS:000406733400008The studies were conducted on three plots, established in 100-130 year old Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stands (type: Pinetum vaccinio-mirtyllosum) situated in the southern and central parts of Lithuania (Kaunas and Varna districts). Their canopy closure was from 0.6 to 0.8. The study areas comprised of a mature stand (control) and clear-cut felled in spring 2016 and tilled after 5 months. Altogether 30 litter samples (five per stand) were taken from randomly chosen locations twice: the first sampling took place one month after cutting (in May) and the other after five months (in October). In total, 921 adults and larvae representing 49 species of rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) were collected. The higher number of individuals was harvested in control stands (fig. la, tab. 1). The collected individuals were significantly more abundant during the second sampling in all studied stands (fig. lb, tab. 1). In the same way the higher number of species was detected in control stands, but significant differences were observed only during the first sampling. Amount of forest species differed insignificantly between control stands and clear-cuts, while the rate of zoophagous species was significantly higher in control stands (fig. 2a, tab. 1). The number of mixophagous species was significantly higher in clear-cuts during the second sampling (fig. 2b-c, tab. 1). Both the felling and the tilling had a distinct impact on transformation of rove beetles assemblages in clear-cuts comparing to the mature stands (fig. 3). Ischnosom a splendidum, thins subuliformis, Stenichnus scutellaris, Trimium brevicorne, Xantholinus tricolor, Philonthus cignatus and Sepedophilus sp. were revealed as associated with mature pine stands sites, while only Acrotona parens and Amischa analis were connected with clear-cuts (tab. 2). We propose to use these two species as indicators of strong transformation of rove beetles assemblages due to clearcutting and management.[...]Botanikos sodasKauno Tado Ivanausko zoologijos muziejusVytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij