Edge effects on beetle assemblages in an Atlantic forest fragment and pasture in Sergipe, Brazil

Abstract

The advancement of agricultural frontiers and pastures has contributed to the fragmentation of the forest, and these fragments are affected by disturbances of varying degrees of intensity that influence the local fauna and flora. The objective of this work was to analyze how do the magnitude and extent of edge effects and seasonality chance to richness and abundance of beetle. The experiment was conducted in an area containing forest, border and pasture belonging to the Federal Institute of Sergipe. A total of 1,173 specimens from 16 species were collected. The border areas showed a greater richness and abundance of species characterized by being an area of intermediate disturbance, while the anthropic area (pasture) presented the lowest abundance and abundance of Coleoptera and a greater variety of pest beetles, suggesting that the occurrence of some species of pest beetles may be an indication of degraded areas. The abundance and richness of the coleoptera community decreased in the rainy season. Small distances between the pasture, the edge of the forest fragment and the interior of this fragment seem to be crucial to determine the structure of the beetle community, reinforcing attention to the conservation of habitats for its development.