Long-term dynamics of cerambycid communities

Cerambycid species rely on trees of particular taxa or deadwood in certain conditions. Communities of these beetles are thus responsive to changes in forest tree species and deadwood conditions. While some species of North American cerambycids are pests of living trees, most are not, and many provide ecosystem services. We have been surveying cerambycid communities for 18 years to measure the response to different forestry techniques as part of the 100-year Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment. We examined hypotheses regarding community resilience, functional diversity, and effects of forestry techniques on the community. We found that this community on the whole is resilient to forestry so far, that different functional groups respond differently to landscape composition and connectivity, and that both the harvest technique and the size of forest openings both impact the community.