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The abundance and size classes of ground weta, cave weta, carabid beetles and prowling spiders were monitored in the La Trobe Forest Ecosystem Restoration Project, Karekare, West Auckland, where rodent populations had been reduced. These were compared with those in control sites, where the rodent populations had not been manipulated. The arthropods were sampled using pitfall traps set in young podocarp-broadleaf, mature kanuka and mature taraire forested sites, and each treatment site was matched with two control sites. Data was collected monthly from all nine sites from December to May, 2005-06. In kanuka forest, data collected during December to May, 2004-05 has also been used.Rodent populations and possum populations were monitored during the course of the study. Tracking tunnel indices indicated that rat numbers were lower in the treatment sites than the control sites during 2005-06, and that rats were low in abundance at the treatment sites, apart from the occasional spike in numbers, in the three years prior to the start of this research. Mice tracking indices were relatively high at some specific sites, mainly in spring and autumn. Evidence indicated that possum abundance was low in both the treatment and the control sites.Ground weta were more abundant at the kanuka treatment site than the control sites in 2005-06, but were rarely found in the podocarp-broadleaf and taraire forest types. Carabid beetles were trapped in greater numbers in podocarp-broadleaf and kanuka forest treatment sites in 2005-06, than in their respective control sites, and an increase in carabid beetle abundance was recorded between the 2004-05 and 2005-06 sampling seasons at the kanuka treatment site. Prowling spiders were more abundant at the podocarp-broadleaf treatment than at the control sites. Cave weta abundance at the podocarp-broadleaf and kanuka treatment sites was similar to their respective control sites. The arthropod abundance data from the taraire forest sites was confounded by many differences between the treatment and the control sites, which may have masked any effects caused by the suppression of rodent numbers at the treatment site.Ground weta and cave weta in the larger size classes appeared to be selectively preyed upon by predators, however, it was unclear whether rodents were entirely responsible because stoats and cats are also known to target larger arthropod prey, and their presence was not monitored.Ground weta in kanuka forest, carabid beetles in kanuka and podocarp-broadleaf forest and prowling spiders in podocarp-broadleaf forest are identified as potential indicators for monitoring the effects of rodent control in the Waitakere Ranges.This study was limited by a lack of knowledge of life histories and basic ecology of the arthropods. Further research at these sites is required to establish the long term population patterns of the arthropods.

The abundance and size classes of ground weta, cave weta, carabid beetles and prowling spiders were monitored in the La Trobe Forest Ecosystem Restoration Project, Karekare, West Auckland, where rodent populations had been reduced. These were compared with those in control sites, where the rodent populations had not been manipulated. The arthropods were sampled using pitfall traps set in young podocarp-broadleaf, mature kanuka and mature taraire forested sites, and each treatment site was matched with two control sites. Data was collected monthly from all nine sites from December to May, 2005-06. In kanuka forest, data collected during December to May, 2004-05 has also been used.Rodent populations and possum populations were monitored during the course of the study. Tracking tunnel indices indicated that rat numbers were lower in the treatment sites than the control sites during 2005-06, and that rats were low in abundance at the treatment sites, apart from the occasional spike in numbers, in the three years prior to the start of this research. Mice tracking indices were relatively high at some specific sites, mainly in spring and autumn. Evidence indicated that possum abundance was low in both the treatment and the control sites.Ground weta were more abundant at the kanuka treatment site than the control sites in 2005-06, but were rarely found in the podocarp-broadleaf and taraire forest types. Carabid beetles were trapped in greater numbers in podocarp-broadleaf and kanuka forest treatment sites in 2005-06, than in their respective control sites, and an increase in carabid beetle abundance was recorded between the 2004-05 and 2005-06 sampling seasons at the kanuka treatment site. Prowling spiders were more abundant at the podocarp-broadleaf treatment than at the control sites. Cave weta abundance at the podocarp-broadleaf and kanuka treatment sites was similar to their respective control sites. The arthropod abundance data from the taraire forest sites was confounded by many differences between the treatment and the control sites, which may have masked any effects caused by the suppression of rodent numbers at the treatment site.Ground weta and cave weta in the larger size classes appeared to be selectively preyed upon by predators, however, it was unclear whether rodents were entirely responsible because stoats and cats are also known to target larger arthropod prey, and their presence was not monitored.Ground weta in kanuka forest, carabid beetles in kanuka and podocarp-broadleaf forest and prowling spiders in podocarp-broadleaf forest are identified as potential indicators for monitoring the effects of rodent control in the Waitakere Ranges.This study was limited by a lack of knowledge of life histories and basic ecology of the arthropods. Further research at these sites is required to establish the long term population patterns of the arthropods.

We focused on the study of epigeic beatles living in a lime pit Černý Důl. This locality is situated in the buffer-zone of Natural park of Krkonoše - 7 km far from Vrchlabí. We used e method of falling traps. We chosed non-toxical solution of NaCl as a preservative medium because of the lokality characteristics. The traps were put on a upper part of the pit. We put traps on the three of five chosen localities. 50 traps could be found on each of these three localities. We caught 2024 individuals of the order Coleoptera. These families were most abundant: (1825 pc), Silphidae (158 pc) and Staphylinidae (24 pc). 726 individuals were caught on the locality number 0, 813 on the locality number 1, and 485 on the locality number 2. The most abundant species were: Pterostichus melanarius (529 pc), Abax parallelepipedus (455 pc) and Abax ovalis (339 pc). We found 11 eurotype species, 17 antropogenic species, and 1 relict species (Cychrus attenuatus). We computed an index of antropogenic influence (ISD) on the Carabidae species. The ISD value was 34.74, which means that beatles are influenced. Platydracus stercorarius (6 pc) was the most abundant species of family Staphylinidae and Nicrophorus vespilloides (100 pc) was the most abundant species of the family Silphidae.

Dans ce travail de thèse nous avons cherché à déterminer (i) les facteurs structurants des populations des carabiques dominants dans les paysages agricoles et (ii) leur(s) échelle(s) spatiale(s) et temporelle(s) d'influence, afin d'inférer des processus individuels et populationnels impliqués dans le maintien des espèces, en réponse à l'hétérogénéité spatiotemporelle des agroécosystèmes. Notre étude a été réalisée dans trois régions agricoles de l'ouest de la France, contrastées selon leur degré d'intensification agricole, en utilisant des échantillonnages basés sur des pots-pièges et des tentes à émergence et réalisés à plusieurs périodes de l'année.Une des principales originalités de ce travail est d'avoir caractérisé les agroécosystèmes à différentes échelles, tant (i) spatiales : le patch d'habitat, le paysage, la région ; que (ii) temporelles, en considérant à la fois l'environnement présent et celui de l'année précédente. De plus, nous avons essentiellement caractérisé l'influence de la dynamique des habitats sur les dynamiques de distribution et d'abondance et la dispersion des populations de carabiques.Notre étude a abouti à trois résultats majeurs. (1) La dynamique spatiale des espèces de carabiques étudiées est fortement influencée par les types d'habitats et leur instabilité temporelle à différentes échelles spatiales. Nous avons en effet mis en avant l'importance de l'hétérogénéité temporelle des paysages agricoles sur la dynamique spatiale des populations carabiques utilisant la matrice agricole. (2) La dispersion et les mouvements entre parcelles sont une condition importante du succès de ces espèces dans les paysages agricoles et semblent être principalement induits par les rotations de cultures. (3) Du fait de grandes tailles de populations et d'une dispersion efficace importante, la structuration spatiale et génétique des populations reste faible à l'échelle des paysages agricoles. / Carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) play an important role in agriculture as natural enemies of pests. The development and application of practical techniques for managing their populations is a central challenge for sustainable agriculture and depends on detailed knowledge of the ecology of individual species. However, this information is relatively scant for even the most common species of interest in agricultural landscapes. Both agricultural practices and landscape structure have been shown to affect carabid distribution and abundance. In particular, crop rotation and associated mechanical practices affect arthropod abundance either directly, through mortality and emigration, or indirectly, by affecting local microhabitat conditions. Consequently, distribution shifts are expected to occur in response to the temporal instability of annual crops.The aim of this study was to determine (i) factors which structure populations of dominant carabid beetles over agricultural landscapes and (ii) their spatial and temporal scales of influence, in order to infer individual and population processes involved in species maintain, in response to agroecosystems' spatiotemporal heterogeneity. Surveys were conducted in three agricultural areas of western France contrasted in their degree of agricultural intensification, using both pitfall and emergence traps located within fields of the dominant crops and their immediate environment (field margins). At the field scale, we found that: (i) the studied carabid species used crop and non-crop habitats differently during the reproductive period and while overwintering and exhibited different strategies of habitat use; (ii) carabids were more active-abundant within oilseed rape fields than in other types of habitats; (iii) important distribution shifts were observed among habitat patches depending on habitat type and season.At the landscape scale, we found that: (i) landscape composition in both the current and previous years influenced carabid activity-density and distribution at different spatial scales; (ii) non-monotonous landscape effects on carabids were observed, which indicate the importance of considering contrasted landscapes to correctly explore the effect of landscape variables; (iii) Poecilus cupreus populations were structured spatially and genetically at very large spatial scales; (iv) male-biased dispersal was suggested in this species.Overall, results suggest that inter-field movements and active habitat selection rather than differences in survival rates determine distribution and abundance dynamics of dominant carabid species in agricultural landscapes. In addition, data suggest that redistributions mainly occur before overwintering likely in response to autumn cultural practices. High dispersal abilities are key traits for species maintain in highly instable environments, such as agricultural landscapes, and are highly selected in carabid species communities.

Des outils d’évaluation pertinents sont nécessaires pour évaluer l’impact des pratiques agricoles sur les fonctions assurées par la biodiversité de l’échelle de la parcelle à l’échelle du territoire. L’objectif et l’innovation du présent travail a été d’explorer une nouvelle méthode de création d’un outil d’évaluation des fonctions de la biodiversité. Nous avons choisi comme méthode d’évaluation les indicateurs agri-environnementaux, qui permettent d’évaluer l’impact des pratiques agricoles sur les compartiments de l’environnement (eau, sol, air, faune et flore) et aident à la prise de décisions. Nous proposons donc une architecture générale d’un indicateur de biodiversité fonctionnelle et le détail d’un indicateur de fonction agronomique d’importance: la résistance aux stress biotiques. Au sein de cet indicateur se trouve un sous-indicateur : le « rôle des auxiliaires terrestre ». Les carabes seront utilisés comme auxiliaire modèle pour la construction de ce sous-indicateur. Deux méthodes de construction d’indicateurs sont comparées: une méthode à dire d’expert et une méthode par fouille de données, cette deuxième méthode représentant une innovation de la thèse. Les résultats de ces méthodes sont ensuite comparés à des mesures de terrain conduit sur le territoire de Vittel. Les mesures de terrain ont concerné le suivi des populations de carabes, et l’organisation du territoire agricole. Un traitement par un système d’information géographique a permis la validation des indicateurs obtenus / Relevant tools for assessment are necessary to evaluate the impact of agricultural pratices on the functions provided by biodiversity at the plot scale to the landscape scale. The goal and the innovation of this work has been to explore a new method of creation of an assessment tool of the biodiversity functions. We have chosen like assessment method the agri-environmental indicators, which make it possible to evaluate the impact of agricultural practices on environment compartments (water, soil, air, fauna and flora) and help to decision-making. We thus propose a general architecture of an indicator of functional biodiversity and the detail of an agronomic function indicator of importance: resistance to the biotic stresses. Within this indicator, an under-indicator is: the « role of the terrestrial auxiliaries ». Carabids will be used as model auxiliary for the construction of this under-indicator. Two building methods of indicators are compared: a method with expert saying and a method with data mining, this second method representing an innovation of the thesis. The results of these methods are then compared with field datas leads on the Vittel territory. Field datas related to the follow-up of the carabid populations and the organization of the agricultural landscape. A treatment by a geographical information system allowed the validation of the indicators obtained

Darbo tikslas: nustatyti žygių rūšinę sudėtį ir pasiskirstymą Pašilės girininkijos lapuočių medynuose. Darbo objektas: Žygiai ( Coleoptera, Carabidae ) Pašilės girininkijos lapuočių medynuose. Darbo metodai: Stebėjimai buvo vykdomi 2007 metais Pašilės girininkijos lapuočių medynuose. Buvo išskirti penki miško tipai (jie skyrėsi augavietės sąlygomis), kuriuose buvo įtaisyta 50 Barberio žeminės gaudyklių. Kiekviename miško tipe nustatoma dominuojanti rūšis, rūšių individų skaičius, dominantų sezoninis aktyvumas, rūšinės įvairovės rodiklis, ekologinė ir zoogeografinė žygių charakteristika. Darbo uždaviniai: vykdyti žygių rinkimą Pašilės girininkijos lapuočių medynuose 2007m., apdoroti gautus duomenis, išanalizuoti žygių rūšinės sudėties ypatumus atskiruose miško tipuose. Darbo rezultatai: Tyrimo metu penkiuose miško tipuose buvo sugauta 11801 žygių, atpažintos 53 žygių rūšys, priklausančios 26 gentims. Tiriant žygių rūšis buvo nustatyta, kad viena jų (Calosoma inquisitor) įrašyta į Lietuvos Raudonąją knygą. Tiriant žygių gausumo sezoninę dinamiką išskirti du pakilimai: gegužės - birželio mėn. ir rugpjūčio mėn.. Žygių rūšinės įvairovės rodiklis atskiruose miško tipuose svyravo nuo 1,411 kiškiakopūstiniame ąžuolyne, iki 2,549 žibuokliniame – kiškiakopūstiniame uosyne. Atliekant tyrimo analizę išryškėjo tendencija, kad rūšinė įvairovė daugiausiai priklauso nuo dirvožemio drėgnumo ir derlingumo. Kuo derlingesnis ir drėgnesnis dirvožemis tuo didesnė žygių rūšinė įvairovė. Remiantis... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Object: to define specific composition and distribution of carabid beetles at different forest types at Aukštasis tyras Mire Reserve. Subject: Pašilės Methods: Observations were performed in 2007. At 5 forest types 50 Barber's ground traps were equipped. Dominating species, number of species individuals, seasonal activity of dominating species, index of species variety, ecological and zoographical characteristics of carabid beetles were ascertained at each forest type. Tasks: 1. To set the link between forest type and existing species composition of carabid beetles. 2. To study the subordination between richness of carabid beetles and forest type. Results: During the study at 5 forest types 11801 carabid beetles were caught, 53 species of carabid beetles which belong to 26 genera were recognized. During the study of carabid beetle species it was established that one of them (Calosoma inquisitor) was included into the Red Book of Lithuania. Studying the seasonal dynamics of carabid beetle richness two peaks were set: in may ¬June and August. Carabid beetle species variety at different forest types fluctuated from 1,411 at Oksalido – Quercetum to 2,549 at Hepatico-oksalido Fraxinetum. Making an evaluation of the study a tendency emphasised that species variety mostly depends on soil humidity and productivity. The more productive and humid the soil is, the bigger species variety of carrabid beetles is. Evaluating all collected carabid beetle species according to zoogeographical... [to full text]

The diploma thesis is aimed at a comparison of tine and disc cultivators by several parameters which are most affecting the quality of a soil cultivation, and in the effect of the epigeic fauna, represented by ground beetles (Carabidae). Experiment was carried out twice during the season (after a harvest of wheat and rape) while soil was being cultivated with disc cultivator Lemken Rubin or tine cultivator Horsch Tiger. The experiment was carried out on the fields of ZD "Vysočina" Zbýšov and measured parameters were: plant residue decomposition, cultivation depth, diameter of aggregates, weed infestation and crop plant emergence, and abundance of ground beetles. Using the statistic tests, it was found, that almost every parameter describing the quality of the cultivation was influenced by the type of the cultivator. Tine cultivator had a higher decomposition of plant residues. This difference was more obvious when cultivating the field after rape harvest (P < 0.001) than field after wheat harvest (P < 0.01). Tine cultivator was more precise with keeping the cultivation depth as planned. Disc cultivator had a higher crumbling capacity. At the higher speed the machines were more inclining to come out of the ground at higher speeds (P < 0.05). A cultivation had a very negative influence on Carabidae population. On a rape stubble there was a 193 specimens caught in traps before the cultivation with two dominant species - Pseudoophonus rufipes and Pterostichus melanarius. Only 41 specimens was found in the traps after the cultivation.

En réponse aux pertes de biodiversité et à une insécurité alimentaire croissante, l’agriculture moderne doit se tourner vers une gestion plus durable des paysages agricoles. L’Agriculture Biologique (AB) est considérée comme une solution prometteuse à ces enjeux. En effet, ses pratiques agricoles étant globalement plus favorables aux ennemis naturels de ravageurs que celles de l’Agriculture Conventionnelle (AC), elle pourrait permettre de remplacer l'utilisation des pesticides par celle du contrôle biologique. Cependant, les études évaluant ces effets restent contradictoires, probablement car elles ne tiennent pas compte de la diversité des pratiques réalisées en AB et en AC. A plus large échelle, les pratiques ont par ailleurs rarement été considérées dans la description de l’hétérogénéité paysagère, bien que la nature et l’organisation spatiale de la matrice agricole soit susceptible d’affecter les espèces qui y vivent. L’objectif de ce travail de thèse est d’évaluer les effets de la diversité et de l’organisation spatiale des pratiques en AB et en AC sur les insectes auxiliaires, à l’échelle de la parcelle et du paysage. Un travail de terrain a été réalisé en 2012 et 2013 en Ille et Vilaine. Quarante paires de parcelles de blé d’hiver en AB et en AC ont été sélectionnées, réparties le long d’un gradient paysager de surfaces en AB. Dans chaque parcelle, les communautés d'ennemis naturels de pucerons (coccinelles, carabes, parasitoïdes) ont été échantillonnées. Des enquêtes ont permis de caractériser les pratiques agricoles réalisées par les agriculteurs dans les parcelles suivies et dans leur environnement paysager. Nous avons mis en évidence l’existence d’une large diversité de pratiques agricoles dans les systèmes en AB et en AC. A l’échelle parcellaire, les effets des pratiques sur la diversité des insectes auxiliaires sont forts, les systèmes en AB leur étant globalement plus favorables. Considérer un niveau plus fin de description des pratiques nous a permis d’identifier celles qui affectent réellement les insectes et de montrer qu’il est possible de favoriser leur présence, quel que soit le mode de production. A l’échelle du paysage, nous n’avons mis en évidence aucun effet de l’étendue et de l’organisation de l’AB sur les ennemis naturels. Une description plus fine des pratiques nous a malgré tout permis de souligner l’importance de certaines stratégies de pratiques, à certaines échelles. A partir de ces résultats, nous proposons des pistes pour l’aménagement des paysages agricoles. Les problèmes méthodologiques liés à la description des pratiques agricoles à l’échelle du paysage sont également discutés. / Due to the loss of biodiversity and increasing food insecurity, modern agriculture must evolve toward a more sustainable management of agricultural landscapes. Organic Farming (OF) is considered as a promising solution to meet this challenge. Organic practices are indeed generally more favorable to pest natural enemies than Conventional Farming (CF), suggesting that pesticides could be replaced by biological control. However, studies evaluating these effects are contradictory, probably because they do not consider the diversity of practices implemented in OF and CF. On a broader scale, practices have rarely been considered in the description of landscape heterogeneity, although the nature and configuration of farmland must affect species. The target of this PhD work is to evaluate the effects of the diversity and spatial organization of organic and conventional farming practices on insect natural enemies, at field and landscape scales. A fieldwork was conducted in 2012 and 2013 in Brittany. Forty pairs of organic and conventional winter wheat fields were selected, distributed along a landscape gradient of OF area. In each field, aphid natural enemies (ladybirds, carabid beetles, parasitoids) were sampled. We interviewed farmers to characterize farming practices implemented in fields and their surrounding landscape. We observed a wide diversity of farming practices in OF and CF. At field scale, effects of practices on the diversity of natural enemies were strong, OF being overall more favorable. Considering a finer description of practices allowed us identifying those really affecting insects, and showing they can be enhanced regardless of the farming type. At landscape scale, we found no effect of the OF area and configuration on natural enemies. With a more detailed description of practices, we however highlighted the importance of some farming strategies, at some scales. Based on these results, we open up avenues to manage agricultural landscapes. Methodological issues related to the description of farming practices on large areas are also discussed.

Prescribed fire and imazapyr are two silviculture tools used to control hardwood midstory competition in intensively managed, mid-rotation pine (Pinus spp.) stands but also may support conservation of biodiversity in the southeastern United States. Therefore, I investigated select measures of biodiversity response, small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, carabid beetles, songbirds, and vegetation communities, to fire and imazapyr treatments in intensively managed, mid-rotation pine stands of east-central Mississippi. I used a randomized complete block design of 6 stands (blocks) with 4, 10- ha treatment plots assigned randomly a treatment of burn only, herbicide only, burn + herbicide, or control. I applied dormant season prescribed fires every 3 years beginning in January 2000 and a one-time application of imazapyr in September 1999 using 877 ml/ha (12.0 liquid oz./ac; Arsenal®, BASF 2006). I sampled avifauna, herpetofauna, small mammal, and carabid beetle communities using appropriate sampling techniques for attaining species-specific relative abundance. I also measured vegetation structure and biomass. Vegetation and bird communities exhibited significant responses to treatments. Imazapyr had the greatest initial impact on communities followed by a long-term effect of repeated prescribed fires on a 3 year fire-return interval. Combining fire and imazapyr perpetuated high-quality browse for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), plant species richness, high-priority bird species relative abundances, and diversity of landscape-level vegetation structure and biomass by creating a two-tier vegetation structure (pine canopy and herbaceous understory). Independent treatments also were more effective management approaches to sustain biodiversity than controls by maintaining or increasing overall species richness specifically soon after treatment application. Most responses of other wildlife communities were time-limited suggesting the possibility of greater effects of factors other than treatments such as long-term disturbance regimes (e.g., forest management practices, climate trends), proximity of treatment plots to wetlands, and landscape-level population dynamics including characteristics within and among stands. Combined and independent applications of these treatments will support biodiversity conservation, sustainable forestry objectives, and concomitant timber management goals. Long-term conservation of biodiversity within an intensive timber management matrix also may benefit from future investigations of multiple-herbicide tank mixtures, population dynamics of indicator species, and landscape-level biodiversity responses across multiple strata.