Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a large natural forest fire on the beetle
community. Large, naturally-occurring forest fires rarely occur in north Sweden and the
ecological effect on these events has therefore seldom been studied. It is, however,
important to gain knowledge of natural forest fires to be able to mimic these events in
conservation measures and fire management. I studied the changes in abundance, species
richness and assemblage composition of beetles following the fire in 2007. I performed
detailed analyses on four different groups of beetles: saproxylic beetles, beetles favoured or
strongly favoured by fire, and cambium consuming beetles. In the latter group, many of the
typical pest species are found. 18 traps where placed in the fire field and the same number
of traps where placed in a control area close to the fire field. Data from this survey where
later analysed with Wilcoxons rank sum test and PERMANOVA. The total number of
species found was 335 consisting of 8586 individuals. In the fire field I caught 239 species
consisting of 5507 individuals while I in the control area caught 221 species consisting of
3079 individuals. I found a significant increase in the abundance and changes in the species
composition of beetles following fire. In contrast, I did not find clear evidence that the
species richness was higher in the burned areas. However, my study, in agreement with
earlier studies, showed that the forest fires have a strong effect on the species composition
of beetles. Further research on the effects of large scale forest fire in landscapes with a long
history of fire suppression is important for the development of sustainable management
plans for species favoured by and adapted to fire.