Effects of plant diversity, habitat and agricultural landscape structure on the functional diversity of carabid assemblages in the North China Plain

作者：Yunhui Liu, Meichun Duan, Xuzhu Zhang, Xin Zhang, Zhenrong Yu, Jan C. Axmacher · 发表于：Insect Conservation and Diversity · 年份：2014 · DOI：10.1111/icad.12096 · 被引用次数：57 · 研究领域：Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies、Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies、Plant and animal studies

Abstract This study investigated the effects of plant diversity, habitat type and landscape structure on the functional diversity of the carabid assemblages in the agro‐landscape of the North China Plain. We hypothesise (i) small, herbivorous and omnivorous carabids are more strongly affected by local plant diversity, while large and predatory carabids are strongly affected by landscape structure, and (ii) habitat type influences the diversity across functional groups. In 2010, carabid beetles were sampled by pitfall traps in six typical habitats of the agro‐landscape: wheat/maize fields, peanut fields, orchards, field margins, windbreaks and woodland. Our results showed that (i) habitat type played a predominant role in driving the changes in the diversity of carabid assemblages, followed by local plant diversity while the landscape structure had little effect; (ii) small and omnivorous carabid were strongly affected by local plant diversity, while the composition of large and predatory carabid was strongly associated with the landscape structure; and (iii) habitats dominated by woody species harboured different assemblages to habitats dominated by herbaceous plants for overall carabids and three functional groups excluding omnivorous beetles. Informed by our results, we suggest the differentiated responses between functional groups should be appreciated in conservation management. In the intensively managed agro‐landscape, maintenance of diverse habitats and creating a more...