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Cork-oak woodlands as key-habitats for biodiversity conservation in Mediterranean landscapes: a case study using rove and ground beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Carabidae)

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Abstract

Land-use intensification in Mediterranean agro-forest systems became a pressure on biodiversity, concerning particularly the woodland sensitive species. In 2001, the effects of a land-use gradient from old-growth cork-oak forest to a homogeneous agricultural area were assessed using rove beetles as indicators in a Mediterranean landscape. The aim was to find which species were negatively affected by land-use intensification at the landscape level and whether they benefited from cork-oak patches occurring along the land-use gradient. A total of 3,196 rove beetles from 88 taxa were sampled from all landscape types. Agricultural area recorded significantly higher numbers of abundance and species richness in relation to the cork-oak mosaics, i.e. the old-growth forest and the managed agro-forest landscapes (montados). Moreover, 70% of rove beetle indicator species common enough to be tested by IndVal displayed their highest indicator value for agriculture, showing a lower number of woodland indicators in comparison to ground beetles. Nevertheless, one rove beetle taxon was considered a specialist of closed woodland mosaics while no specialist ground beetle was found for that landscape typology. Some rare rove beetle species were also important in typifying diversity patterns of old-growth cork-oak forests. Hence, future management in Mediterranean landscapes should take into account not only indicator species common enough to be tested by IndVal, but also rare and endemic species. Considering the added value of cork-oak woodland cover for sensitive rove and ground beetle diversity, the strengthening of cork-oak woodland connectivity seems to be a crucial management that is required in agricultural Mediterranean landscapes.

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Acknowledgments

This study was sponsored by the EU, integrated in the BIOASSESS project (Contract No. EVK4—1999-00280). The authors would like to thank the Administration of Companhia das Lezírias (in the person of Eng. Sérvulo Correia) and the Força Aérea Portuguesa—Campo de Tiro de Alcochete (in the person of Cmte Norte Jacinto) for allowing the realisation of the field work. Martins da Silva was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (SFRH/BD/37976/2007).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Environmental Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, R. Ernesto de Vasconcelos Ed. C2-2ºPiso, Campo Grande, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal

    Pedro Martins da Silva, Carlos A. S. Aguiar & Artur R. M. Serrano

  2. Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, 00014, Helsinki, Finland

    Jari Niemelä

  3. IMAR-Coimbra Interdisciplinary Centre, Department of Zoology, University of Coimbra, Largo Marquês de Pombal, 3004-517, Coimbra, Portugal

    Pedro Martins da Silva & José Paulo Sousa

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  1. Pedro Martins da Silva
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  2. Carlos A. S. Aguiar
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Correspondence to Pedro Martins da Silva.

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da Silva, P.M., Aguiar, C.A.S., Niemelä, J. et al. Cork-oak woodlands as key-habitats for biodiversity conservation in Mediterranean landscapes: a case study using rove and ground beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Carabidae). Biodivers Conserv 18, 605–619 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-008-9527-9

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