Abstract
Insects dependent upon dead wood, wood-decaying fungi, or other organisms within dead wood for some portion of their life cycle have been termed saproxylic. Beetles comprise a large component of the saproxylic fauna within forests and play vital roles in the initial fragmentation and breakdown of dead woody debris. To evaluate the influence of forest type on saproxylic beetle assemblages, we surveyed upland and bottomland hardwood stands in east-central Mississippi. Overall, the two forest types shared a number of similarities in terms of their saproxylic beetle faunas. However, ecological differences between these two forest types were evident, most notably in diversity and abundance of beetle species dependent upon wood-decaying fungi.
Parent Publication
Citation
Warriner, Michael D.; Nebeker, T. Even; Tucker, Steven A.; Schiefer, Terence L. 2004. Comparison of Saproxylic Beetle (
Coleoptera) Assemblages in Upland Hardwood and Bottomland Hardwood Forests. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-73. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. pp. 150-153