Landscape Heterogeneity Determines the Diversity and Life History Traits of Ground Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

Functional diversity is crucial to ecosystem functioning in agricultural landscapes. Intensive agriculture has led habitat homogeneity and thus a decrease biodiversity the disappearance of useful epigeic fauna. This study investigated how local types an landscape affect assemblage parameters (abundance, species richness Shannon–Wiener index) life history traits ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae). The was conducted four types: Orchard, meadow, shrubs, forest. In each type, 12 sampling transects were selected, which individuals caught pitfall traps. Non-metric multidimensional scaling revealed significant differences beetle Carabidae) composition between habitats. generalized linear model showed that type influenced beetles’ traits. Abundance, number species, highest orchard. occurrence large brachypterous predators also strongly dependent on heterogeneity. Their presence orchard depended their distance from semi-natural habitats (shrubs or forest). results underscore importance heterogeneity for populations predatory Carabidae intensively used landscapes demonstrate role functional parameters, providing detailed information agroecosystem condition functioning.