The effect of fire on the diversity and abundance of wood-living beetles in a miombo woodland, Tanzania

Abstract

Weekly sampling was carried out using window flight traps for three and a half successive years, between 1995–1998 to determine the effects of annual fires on the occurrence, abundance, and diversity of wood-living beetles in a miombo woodland at Kitulangalo, Morogoro, Tanzania. A total of 9515 specimens representing 78 species in 19 families were trapped, 4617 in burnt areas, and 4898 in unburnt areas. Most species were recorded in all seasons except 10 that occurred only during the dry season. Overall species diversity and abundance were not significantly different (p<0,05) between burnt and unburnt sites, though abundance was slightly higher in unburnt areas. Conversely species diversity was slightly higher in burnt areas. Five of the 10 most common insect species showed significant population abundance differences (p<0,05) between burnt and unburnt areas. Three insect species namely, Aneurihinu nigrosinuatus (Anthribidae), Chrysobothris dorsata (Buprestidae), and Heterobostrychus brunneus (Bostrichidae) were exclusively found in the burnt areas. It is proposed that future work should focus on the relationship between the variables studied and fire regimes.