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Conflict between insect conservation and public safety: the case study of a saproxylic beetle (Osmoderma eremita) in urban parks

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Abstract

Urban parks can harbour small populations of saproxylic insects of high conservation concern, such as Osmoderma eremita and other rare beetles. These areas often host old trees which have become very uncommon in rural areas where they are threatened by commercial forestry management procedures based on frequent tree cutting. Nevertheless, old trees of urban parks may represent a hazard for public safety and are sometimes cut by management authorities. The aim of this work was to assess the loss of reproductive sites for saproxylic beetles of the Scarabaeidae, Lucanidae and Cerambycidae, when felling plans are adopted according to a Visual Tree Assessment Procedure (VTA), in a Mediterranean urban park. On July–August 2004, 1,247 holm oaks were surveyed within the border of an urban park of Rome (Villa Borghese). The occurrence of saproxylic beetles (i.e. the presence of frass, living insects or their remains) was verified in 66 old holm oaks, 41% of which were doomed to cutting by VTA. Eleven of these trees (41% of the trees doomed to be cut) held fragments of adults and sometimes living larvae of Osmoderma eremita, and four of them (36%) were included in the felling plan. The presence of Osmoderma eremita in tree holes was more frequent in deep cavities. The presence of frass in the cavities was positively associated with tree height and a high degree of damage at the root collar and negatively with the presence of hole-nesting birds.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Bruno Cignini, executive manager of the Rome Municipality (10th Department: Environment and Agriculture Policies/Conservation and management of vast areas and biodiversity) for providing facilities and funding. A special thank is due for Fabio Nicolai (Zoological Museum, Rome) for field assistance and help.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University “Roma Tre”, Viale G. Marconi 446, 00146, Rome, Italy

    Giuseppe Maria Carpaneto & Adriano Mazziotta

  2. Department of Animal and Human Biology, “Sapienza” University, Rome, Italy

    Giorgia Coletti & Paolo Audisio

  3. Centre of Environmental Studies Demetra S.r.l., via Olona 7, 00198, Rome, Italy

    Luca Luiselli

Authors
  1. Giuseppe Maria Carpaneto
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  2. Adriano Mazziotta
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  3. Giorgia Coletti
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  4. Luca Luiselli
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  5. Paolo Audisio
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Correspondence to Giuseppe Maria Carpaneto.

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Carpaneto, G.M., Mazziotta, A., Coletti, G. et al. Conflict between insect conservation and public safety: the case study of a saproxylic beetle (Osmoderma eremita) in urban parks. J Insect Conserv 14, 555–565 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-010-9283-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-010-9283-5

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