Carabid (Coleoptera) Community Changes Following Prescribed Burning and the Potential Use of Carabids as Indicators Species to Evaluate the Effects of Fire Management in Mediterranean Regions

 

Luisa Nunes*, Israel Silva**, Marina Pité**, Francisco Rego***, Simon Leather**** and Artur Serrano*****

 

*Professora Adjunta

Escola Superior Agrária de Castelo Branco. Departamento Florestal, Quinta. Senhora de Mércules, 6000 CASTELO BRANCO

** Bolseiros de Investigação

***Professor Associado c/Agregação

Centro de Ecologia Aplicada Prof. Baeta Neves. Instituto Superior de Agronomia. Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 LISBOA

****Senior Professor

Department of Biological Sciences. Imperial College at Silwood Park, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY. UK

*****Professor Associado

Faculdade de Ciências. Centro de Biologia Ambiental. Universidade de Lisboa, Rua Ernesto Vasconcelos, Ed. C2-3º, Campo Grande, 1749-016 LISBOA

 

 

Abstract. This study investigates the effects of prescribed burning on ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) communities in two different habitats, a pine forest stand in Northern Portugal and a shrubland in a central region that were fire treated in spring of 1998. These two ecosystems were considerably different floristically as well as structurally. Pitfall trapping was performed for two years in the pine stand and three years in the shrubland. Species of dryer open habitats dominated after fire in the shrubland site while the pine stand habitat showed a more or less constant carabid community structure for all treatments. Some Carabid taxa such as species/subspecies like Chrysocarabus lateralis, Petrophilus brevipennis sousai, Macrothorax rugosus celtiberus and Steropus globosus ebenus may be considered as indicators for fire managed areas in Mediterranean ecosystems.

Key words: Carabids; prescribed burning; Mediterranean ecosystems; Portugal

 

Alterações nas Comunidades de Coleópteros Carabídeos após Fogo Controlado e o Uso destes Insectos como Potenciais Bio-Indicadores na Avaliação dos Efeitos do Fogo em Regiões Mediterrânicas

Sumário. Este estudo investiga os efeitos do fogo controlado em comunidades de coleópteros carabideos em dois habitats distintos, um povoamento de pinheiro bravo no norte de Portugal e uma zona de matos na região central. Ambos os locais foram sujeitos a queima em 1998. Estes dois ecossistemas eram muito distintos em termos de composição e estrutura vegetal. As espécies de zonas mais áridas dominaram após o fogo na região de matos enquanto que no povoamento de pinheiro bravo a composição da comunidade de carabídeos foi menos consistente.

Algumas espécies e subespécies como Chrysocarabus lateralis, Petrophilus brevipennis sousai, Macrothorax rugosus celtiberus and Steropus globosus ebenus poderão eventualmente ser consideradas como indicadores das condições pós-fogo em ecossitemas mediterrânicos.

Palavras-chave: Carabídios; fogo controlado; ecossistemas mediterrânicos; Portugal

 

Modifications dans les Communautés de Coléoptères Carabes après l'Utilisation du Feu Contrôlé et son Utilisation comme Indicateurs pour l’Évaluation des Effets du Feu

Résumé. Cette étude est une recherche sur les effets du feu contrôlé dans les communautés de coléoptères carabes dans deux habitats distincts, un peuplement de sapin dans le nord du Portugal et une zone de brousse dans la région centrale. Les deux lieux ont été soumis au brûlage, en 1998. Ces deux écosystèmes étaient très distincts en termes de composition et de structure végétale. Les espèces des zones plus arides ont dominé après le feu dans la région de brousse tandis que dans le peuplement de sapin la composition de la communauté de carabes a été moins consistante.

Quelques espèces et sous-espèces comme Chrysocarabus lateralis, Petrophilus brevipennis sousai, Macrothorax rugosus celtiberus et Steropus globosus ebenus pourront éventuellement être considérées comme des indicateurs des conditions post-feu dans des écosystèmes méditerranéens.

Mots clés: Carabes; feu contrôlé; écosystèmes méditerranéens; Portugal

 

 

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Entregue para publicação em Outubro de 2003

Aceite para publicação em Janeiro de 2006