Effect of forest removal on the abundance of the endangered American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus (Coleoptera: Silphidae)

Keywords

habitat loss, forest fragmentation, endangered species, American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus, Silphidae

Abstract

We test the hypothesis that the decline of the endangered American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) from over 90% of its original range is the result of habitat loss and fragmentation of eastern North America. Forest removal at a site in southeastern Oklahoma known to have a significant population of N. americanus gave us a unique opportunity to test this hypothesis. At the local scale of this experiment, N. americanus declined significantly after forest removal while beetle numbers at adjacent forested plots did not change. Our results indicate that local disturbances such as forest removal, if occurring across relatively broad spatial scales, can cause wholesale geographic range collapse in this species.

Original Publication Citation

Creighton, J.C., Bastarache, R., Lomolino, M.V., and Belk, M.C. 2009. Effect of forest removal on the abundance of the endangered American burying beetle, Nicrophorus americanus (Coleoptera: Silphidae). Journal of Insect Conservation 13:37-43.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2007-10-16

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/8199

Publisher

Journal of Insect Conservation

Language

English

College

Life Sciences

Department

Biology

University Standing at Time of Publication

Full Professor

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