A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä
Effects of undergrowth removal and edge proximity on ground beetles and vascular plants in urban boreal forests (2019)

Koivula, M., Virta, T., Kuitunen, M., & Vallius, E. (2019). Effects of undergrowth removal and edge proximity on ground beetles and vascular plants in urban boreal forests. Journal of Urban Ecology, 5(1), Article juz007. https://doi.org/10.1093/jue/juz007

JYU-tekijät tai -toimittajat

Julkaisun tiedot

Julkaisun kaikki tekijät tai toimittajat: Koivula, Matti; Virta, Tiina; Kuitunen, Markku; Vallius, Elisa

Lehti tai sarja: Journal of Urban Ecology

ISSN: 2058-5543

eISSN: 2058-5543

Julkaisuvuosi: 2019

Volyymi: 5

Lehden numero: 1

Artikkelinumero: juz007

Kustantaja: Oxford University Press

Julkaisumaa: Britannia

Julkaisun kieli: englanti

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jue/juz007

Linkki tutkimusaineistoon: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.h15c4sp

Julkaisun avoin saatavuus: Avoimesti saatavilla

Julkaisukanavan avoin saatavuus: Kokonaan avoin julkaisukanava

Julkaisu on rinnakkaistallennettu (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/64716

Tiivistelmä

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.

YSO-asiasanat: taajamametsät; metsänkäsittely; aluskasvillisuus; eliöyhteisöt; maakiitäjäiset; putkilokasvit

Vapaat asiasanat: abundance; Carabidae; community; edge effect; management; species richness

Liittyvät organisaatiot

OKM-raportointi: Kyllä

Raportointivuosi: 2019

JUFO-taso: 1