This study is part of an ongoing project on factors affecting abundance of coleopterans in the Vila Velha State Park, Ponta Grossa, Paraná (PROVIVE). We assessed beta diversity changes as a function of anthropogenic disturbance levels for insects in a forest fragment of the Bioma Araucaria (Floresta Ombrófila Mista). We stratified the study area into five disturbance regions: 1. a managed transitional forest-grass area; 2. an Araucaria angustifolia forest plantation without any management; 3. an early/middle vegetational succession area; 4. a middle/late vegetational succession area, and 5. a late vegetational succession area in advanced stage. We collected insects weekly using malaise traps for a period of 52 weeks from September 1999 to August 2000. We collected 10,822 beetles from 1,659 species. Beta diversity indices indicated high turnover rates among sampling areas. Highest beta diversity was observed between transitional forest-grass area and forested areas. The successional areas were the most similar. Among successional areas, beta diversity was highest between advanced succession and the early succession areas. We show that high insect diversity can be maintained by preserving biodiversity hotspots within the study area, as well as maintaining a mosaic of sites with different vegetational successions and native flora plantation. Additionally, coleopteran diversity was sensitive to habitat alteration, which may make this taxon a good indicator for disturbance of forested regions.
Beta diversity measures; forest environmental indicator; malaise trap; nature conservation
