The effect of prairie plant species richness and functional group diversity on ground beetles was studied in the E120 large biodiversity plots at Cedar Creek LTER site (MN) during the summer of 2000. Pitfall traps were used to monitor ground beetle assemblages every two weeks in 136 plots (each 13x13 m) containing 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 or 32 species and 0-5 functional groups (C3 grasses, C4 grasses, forbs, legume, or woody) of prairie plants. 58 species of ground beetles were found, including 8 new records for Minnesota. Although plant species richness does not affect ground beetle species richness, both species richness and functional group diversity affect ground beetle community composition. Impact of net primary productivity and percent cover will also be presented.
Species 1: Coleoptera Carabidae Harpalus eraticus
Species 2: Coleoptera Carabidae Amara sinuosa
Species 3: Coleoptera Carabidae Pasimachus elongatus
Keywords: ground beetles, tallgrass prairie
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA