Biodivers Conserv (2008) 17:1837–1852

DOI 10.1007/s10531-007-9290-3

Impact of anthropogenic disturbances on beetle

Received: 2 May 2007 / Accepted: 24 October 2007 / Published online: 17 November 2007

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2007

In coastal dunes, inXuenced by anthropogenic activities such as tourism, it is

important to determine the relative inXuence of environmental factors at diVerent spatial

scales to evaluate the sensitivity of local communities to disturbances. We analyzed beetle

communities of 14 dunes of the French Mediterranean coast: four in the relatively

preserved Camargue area, and ten in the Var department, where tourism is intensive. Beetle

communities were studied three times in early spring using sand sampling. Species-environment

relationships were evaluated at the regional, landscape and local scale using

redundancy analysis (RDA) and variability partitioning. About 28 species were identiWed,

of which 15 were sand-specialist species, which accounted for more than 93% of total

abundance. The beetle communities of Camargue were signiWcantly diVerent from those of

the Var department owing to the pullulation of a Tenebrionid species (Trachyscelis

aphodioides Latr.) in the Var, except for one restored dune where the community was very

similar to those of Camargue. Our results showed no longitudinal gradient between the two

regions. Local factors (dune height, preservation and disturbance index) signiWcantly

explained most of the variation in the dominance of T. aphodioides, while some other local

factors were important for other psammophilous species. This study also suggests that dune

beetle communities are strongly aVected on beaches intensively managed for tourism, but

beetles are still abundant in much disturbed sites.

Keywords Insect · Coleoptera · Tourism · Trampling · Urbanization · Beach · Pullulation

V. Comor · J. Orgeas · P. Ponel · C. Rolando

IMEP, UMR-CNRS 6116, Bâtiment Villemin, Europole de l’Arbois, BP 80,

13545 Aix-en-Provence cedex 04, France

V. Comor (Corresponding Author, 2008-2011)

Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University,

Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, Building 100 “Lumen”,

6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands

e-mail: vincent.comor@wur.nl

Y. R. Delettre

IFR CAREN, UMR-CNRS 6553 « Ecobio », Université de Rennes I, Av. du Général Leclerc,

35042 Rennes Cedex, France