Open Collections

Changes in the carabid beetle community of the Sicamous Creek research site in response to prescribed logging practices

University of British Columbia

Carabid beetles (Order Coleoptera, Family Carabidae) are an important part of forest diversity and play a role in assessing forest health. This study is an important advancement in the study of carabid beetles in the environment as it is the first to continuously sample a population in pre-treatment and post-treatment states. Changes within the carabid assemblage were monitored as different harvesting regimes were applied. The five treatments examined were: 10, 1.0, and 0.1 hectare clearcuts, 25% Individual Tree Selection (I.T.S.) and controls (uncut). Results showed that species richness increased within clearcut habitats for all treatments, but not necessarily within forested and edge habitat for all treatments. Edge habitat richness was lower in some treatments. Species diversity indices showed similar changes for these habitats. Species evenness analysis showed that forest and clearcut habitats are dominated by a few species, but that edge habitat has a more even hierarchy. No differences in habitat use were detected for most species, except for a few "new" species (ones that appeared after logging occurred). For Scaphinotus angusticollis (Fischer Von Waldheim) there was a significant drop in abundance in 25% I.T.S. plots after harvesting as compared to 0.1 hectare plots, indicating that some undisturbed forest habitat is required by this species.

Thesis/Dissertation

application/pdf

2009-06-17

For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/9382

Zoology

University of British Columbia

UBCV

DSpace