Sammendrag
In Western Norway, farmers have traditionally used fire as a management tool in coastal
heathlands to enhance the fodder quality for livestock. Rotational prescribed burning
increases landscape heterogeneity by creating a mosaic of different regeneration stages of
heather. Ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) responses to fire in traditionally managed
coastal heathland have already been studied, but less is known about other beetle groups
in this system. We compared the beetle activity between patches of mature and recently
burnt heath, by looking at diversity indices, species composition and ecological preferences
and traits. Contrary to previous studies, we did not find an increase in beta diversity
after disturbance, but we found that prescribed burning offers micro-environmental conditions
which enhanced the activity of sun-loving and xerophilous species. We also identified
new indicator species for both mature and pioneer heath in five beetle families: Carabidae,
Staphylinidae, Curculionidae, Leiodidae, and Scirtidae. Rotational prescribed burning was
confirmed to be an efficient conservation tool for specialists without affecting the overall
diversity of the site. We recommend the use of several taxa, ecological preferences and
traits to assess the impact of prescribed burning and to monitor the condition of traditionally
managed coastal heathlands.
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