Effects Of Forest Management Practices On Terrestrial Coleopteran Assemblages In Sand Pine Scrub

Abstract

Coleopteran assemblages were sampled monthly for one year using pitfall traps in replicated sites of three 5- to 7-year-old disturbance treatments and mature forested sand pine scrub in the Ocala National Forest, Marion County, Florida. Disturbance treatments were (1) burning at high-intensity and salvage-logging; (2) clearcutting, roller-chopping and broadcast seeding, and; (3) clearcutting and bracke-seeding. Community similarity of coleopterans was high. No differences in species richness, diversity, density, or evenness were detected. Of 40 species captured, only seven were common (n > 50). Predaceous beetles were numerically dominant followed by scavengers. Few xylophagous or herbivorous coleopterans were captured, probably due to trap bias. Peaks of annual above-ground terrestrial activity varied among species. An absence of differences among treatments may reflect similar plant communities or structural habitat features. Additionally, a dearth of mature forest specialists might be predicted in systems where mature forest was historically rare due to large-scale, high-intensity, and low-frequency wildfire.