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The distribution patterns and temporal dynamics of carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in the forests of Jiaohe, Jilin Province, China

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Abstract

Carabid beetles, predatory insects, are abundant in forests and sensitive to environmental changes. The distribution patterns and diversity of carabid beetles in several natural forests were studied to provide a basis for evaluating the importance of a forest in the protection of carabid beetle diversity. Carabids were captured by pitfall traps during their seasonal activity from 2012 to 2013 in a poplar-birch forest, ash-walnut forest and broad-leaved Korean pine forest. A total of 5252 individuals, representing 21 species, were collected. Carabid abundance was highest in the broad-leaved Korean pine forest and lowest in the ash-walnut forest. Carabus billbergi Mannerheim and Pterostichus pertinax (Tschitscherine) were the dominant beetle species in each stand. Carabus canaliculatus Adams was dominant in the poplar-birch and ash-walnut forests, and Leistus niger Gebler was dominant in the ash-walnut forest. The carabids were affected differently by stand factors. C. billbergi and P. pertinax was positively correlated with mean DBH. C. canaliculatus and L. niger were not positively correlated with any stand factors. The broad-leaved Korean pine forest with greater age, large DBH and thick leaf litter fostered a high diversity of carabid species. The main yearly activity period for most carabids was during July. Different carabid species responded differently to seasonality, and the activity period of several species was relatively late (August) in the year.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Prof. Hongbin Liang (Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences) and Dr. Hongliang Shi (Beijing Forestry University) for helping to identify carabid specimens.

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Correspondence to Qingfan Meng.

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Project funding: This research was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31600517), the Science and Technology Development Project of Jilin Province (20180201059NY), Science and Technology Research Project of Jilin Provincial Education Department (JJKH20190651KJ), Open Project of Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security of Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education (GPES202003), and National College Students' Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program (202110201030).

The online version is available at http://www.springerlink.com

Corresponding editor: Yanbo Hu.

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Liu, S., Dong, S., Liu, R. et al. The distribution patterns and temporal dynamics of carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in the forests of Jiaohe, Jilin Province, China. J. For. Res. 33, 333–342 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-021-01367-z

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