Coppicing and topsoil removal promote diversity of dung‐inhabiting beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Geotrupidae, Staphylinidae) in forests

Central European forests experience a substantial loss of open-forest organisms due to forest management and increasing nitrogen deposition. However, strategies, removing different levels nitrogen, have been rarely evaluated simultaneously. We tested the additive effects coppicing topsoil removal on communities dung-inhabiting beetles compared closed forests. sampled 57 021 beetles, using baited pitfall traps exposed 27 plots. Experimental treatments resulted in significantly by promoting open-habitat species. While alpha diversity did not differ among treatments, gamma Geotrupidae Scarabaeidae beta Staphylinidae were higher coppice than forest. Functional rove was both, topsoil-removed plots, control This likely driven habitat heterogeneity established openings. Five dung beetle species four benefitted from coppicing, one red-listed two removal. Our results demonstrate that related open patches can be promoted additional A mosaic bare-soil-rich hence promote landscape-level within