Effects of undergrowth removal and edge proximity on ground beetles and vascular plants in urban boreal forests
Publiceringsår
2019
Upphovspersoner
Koivula, Matti; Virta, Tiina; Kuitunen, Markku; Vallius, Elisa
Abstrakt
Urban forests are regularly managed for human safety and esthetic reasons, but they are crucial habitat for many species. Removals of undergrowth occur commonly in these forests, yet the ecological consequences of these operations are poorly understood. We sampled ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) and vascular plants along 20-m edge gradients in Finnish urban forests, in five stands treated 0.5–2.5 years earlier with undergrowth removal and in five untreated stands. We hypothesized that undergrowth removal and edge proximity would benefit opportunistic and open-habitat species, whereas shady-habitat species would be affected negatively. (1) Regarding carabids, diversity and evenness indices, open-habitat species and Carabus nemoralis responded positively, and forest species, Leistus terminatus and Pterostichus oblongopunctatus responded negatively, to the undergrowth removal. Regarding plants, generalists, Maianthemum bifolium, Rubus saxatilis and Sorbus aucuparia responded positively, and forest species, Geranium sylvaticum, Oxalis acetocella and Vaccinium myrtillus responded negatively, to the undergrowth removal. (2) Edge proximity had little effect on both plants and carabids. However, open-habitat carabids were less abundant and less speciose, and the plants Oxalis acetocella, Trientalis europaea and Rubus saxatilis had higher cover, 10–20 m from than right at the edge. (3) Plant (but not carabid) community responded to the undergrowth removal but not to the edge proximity. When managing urban forests, we recommend an avoidance of undergrowth removals at sites that host rare or threatened forest-associated flora and fauna.
Visa merOrganisationer och upphovspersoner
Östra Finlands universitet
Koivula Matti
Publikationstyp
Publikationsform
Artikel
Moderpublikationens typ
Tidning
Artikelstyp
En originalartikel
Målgrupp
VetenskapligKollegialt utvärderad
Kollegialt utvärderadUKM:s publikationstyp
A1 Originalartikel i en vetenskaplig tidskriftPublikationskanalens uppgifter
Journal
Förläggare
Volym
5
Nummer
1
Artikelnummer
juz007
ISSN
Publikationsforum
Publikationsforumsnivå
1
Öppen tillgång
Öppen tillgänglighet i förläggarens tjänst
Ja
Öppen tillgång till publikationskanalen
Helt öppen publikationskanal
Parallellsparad
Ja
Övriga uppgifter
Vetenskapsområden
Miljövetenskap; Ekologi, evolutionsbiologi; Skogsvetenskap
Nyckelord
[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]
Publiceringsland
Förenade kungariket
Förlagets internationalitet
Internationell
Språk
engelska
Internationell sampublikation
Nej
Sampublikation med ett företag
Ja
DOI
10.1093/jue/juz007
Publikationen ingår i undervisnings- och kulturministeriets datainsamling
Ja