Recolonization of Two Burnt Quercus pyrenaica Ecosystems by Coleoptera

Abstract

Pit-fall trap catches were used to study the recolonization by the coleoptera fauna of Quercus pyrenaica ecosystems disturbed by wildfires. Two close oakwoods in León province of Spain were sampled monthly in 1990, with pit-fall traps, one burnt in June 1986 and in the other August 1989. Carabid genera such as Pterostichus and Anysodactylus increased in the four years post-fire recovered area compared to the recently burnt area and the non-burnt area. The species most affected by the environmental changes were the less generalist species, that occurred less frequently than the more adaptable species.