Carabid beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) communities in a woodland habitat in Hungary

Abstract

Carabid communities were investigated in a woodland area within the long-term framework of the MAB project in Hungary, in 1985—86 and in 1993—94, using pitfall trapping. The structural characteristics ofthe carabid communitites and the habitat preferences of the most abundant species were studied in a beech wood, an oak forest, a transition zone and an ecotone. Altogether 7,636 carabid individuals were collected, representing 39 species. The value of Shannon diversity and the equitability consistently peaked in the transition zone. Further statistical analysis showed that the studied habitats were remarkably differentiated from each other.