INIBIOMA   20415
INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACIONES EN BIODIVERSIDAD Y MEDIOAMBIENTE
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
artículos
Título:
Early Post-fire succession of ground beetle assemblages (coleoptera) in three habitat types on NW Patagonia, Argentina
Autor/es:
SASAL Y., RAFFAELE E. Y FARJI-BRENER A.
Revista:
JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE
Editorial:
UNIV ARIZONA
Referencias:
Año: 2010 vol. 10 p. 10 - 37
ISSN:
1536-2442
Resumen:
Abstract
Wildfires are one of the major disturbances in the dynamics of forests and shrublands. However,
little is known about their effects on insect communities that contribute to faunal biodiversity and
play key roles in the ecosystems dynamics. An intense and widespread fire occurred in 1999 in
the Nahuel Huapi National Park in the Andean forest in northern Patagonia, Argentina. The fire
affected adjacent, but different, habitat types. After the fire, beetle abundance, species richness
and assemblage composition were compared among three habitats that were structurally different
before the fire. These habitats were: 1) evergreen forest dominated by Nothofagus dombeyiNothofagus dombeyi
(Mirb.) Oerst. (Fagales: Nothofagaceae), 2) a mixed forest of the evergreen conifer Austrocedrus
chilensis (D. Don) Pic. Serm. and Bizzarri (Pinales: Cupressaceae) and N. dombeyi and 3) a
shrubland with a diverse community of shrub species. The relationship between beetle diversity
and vegetation structure was investigated over three consecutive years. Ground beetles were
collected by pitfall traps, and plant species richness, vegetation cover, and height were measured.
Beetle communities varied more over years between habitats during the early regeneration after
fire. There was a shift in beetle assemblage composition with time after the fire in all habitat
types, probably due to similar colonization rates and microclimatic conditions. Therefore, beetle
succession was more influenced by recolonization and survivorship, accompanied by climatic
conditions and recovery rate of plant communities over time, than it was influenced by pre-fire
habitat conditions. These results suggest that in NW Patagonia, wildfire can have a substantial,
short-term impact on beetle abundance and species composition. The pre-fire conditions of each
habitat type determined the structure of post-fire communities of plants but not beetle
assemblages. Wildfires produce simplification and homogenization of habitat types, and this was
reflected by beetle diversity.Austrocedrus
chilensis (D. Don) Pic. Serm. and Bizzarri (Pinales: Cupressaceae) and N. dombeyi and 3) a
shrubland with a diverse community of shrub species. The relationship between beetle diversity
and vegetation structure was investigated over three consecutive years. Ground beetles were
collected by pitfall traps, and plant species richness, vegetation cover, and height were measured.
Beetle communities varied more over years between habitats during the early regeneration after
fire. There was a shift in beetle assemblage composition with time after the fire in all habitat
types, probably due to similar colonization rates and microclimatic conditions. Therefore, beetle
succession was more influenced by recolonization and survivorship, accompanied by climatic
conditions and recovery rate of plant communities over time, than it was influenced by pre-fire
habitat conditions. These results suggest that in NW Patagonia, wildfire can have a substantial,
short-term impact on beetle abundance and species composition. The pre-fire conditions of each
habitat type determined the structure of post-fire communities of plants but not beetle
assemblages. Wildfires produce simplification and homogenization of habitat types, and this was
reflected by beetle diversity.(D. Don) Pic. Serm. and Bizzarri (Pinales: Cupressaceae) and N. dombeyi and 3) a
shrubland with a diverse community of shrub species. The relationship between beetle diversity
and vegetation structure was investigated over three consecutive years. Ground beetles were
collected by pitfall traps, and plant species richness, vegetation cover, and height were measured.
Beetle communities varied more over years between habitats during the early regeneration after
fire. There was a shift in beetle assemblage composition with time after the fire in all habitat
types, probably due to similar colonization rates and microclimatic conditions. Therefore, beetle
succession was more influenced by recolonization and survivorship, accompanied by climatic
conditions and recovery rate of plant communities over time, than it was influenced by pre-fire
habitat conditions. These results suggest that in NW Patagonia, wildfire can have a substantial,
short-term impact on beetle abundance and species composition. The pre-fire conditions of each
habitat type determined the structure of post-fire communities of plants but not beetle
assemblages. Wildfires produce simplification and homogenization of habitat types, and this was
reflected by beetle diversity.