The response of beetles to group selection harvesting in a southeastern bottomland hardwood forest.

Other · Fri Apr 01 04:00:00 EST 2005

OSTI ID:859195

ABSTRACT The environmental protection and sustainable management of our remaining forests are increasingly important concerns. Group selection harvesting is an uneven-aged forest management practice that removes patches of desirable trees to create small openings mimicking natural disturbances. To determine the effects of this technique on beetles, malaise and pitfall traps were placed at the center, edge, and in the forest surrounding artificially created gaps of different size (0.13, 0.26, and 0.50 ha) and age (1 and 7 years) in a South Carolina bottomland hardwood forest. Beetles were generally more abundant and species rich in the centers of younger gaps than in the centers of older gaps or in the forest surrounding them. There were relatively few differences in the abundance and richness of beetles between old gaps and the surrounding forest but species composition differed considerably. These differences may be explained by the uneven distribution of various resources.

• Research Organization: USDA Forest Service, Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE - Office of Environmental Management (EM)
• DOE Contract Number: AI09-00SR22188
• OSTI ID: 859195
• Report Number(s): na; 05-17-T
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

Silphidae
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
Coleoptera
canopy gaps
carabidae
coarse woody debris
flooding
herbivores
logging
swamps