The Carabidae form one of the largest and best studied families of insects, occurring in nearly every terrestrial habitat. The contributions included in this book cover a broad spectrum of recent research into this beetle family, with an emphasis on various aspects of ecology and evolution. They deal both with individual carabid species, for example in studies on population and reproductive biology or life history in general, and with ground beetle communities, as exemplified in papers treating assemblages in natural habitats, on agricultural land and in forests. Disciplines range from biogeography and faunistics, over morphology, taxonomy and phylogenetics, ecophysiology and functional ecology, to population, community, conservation and landscape ecology. This volume is the result of the 8th European Carabidologists' Meeting, 2nd International Symposium of Carabidology, September 1-4, 1992, Belgium.

With the increasing numbers of research workers and groups of investigators devoting themselves to the ecology of carabids I felt that the time had come to take stock of the existing knowledge in this field and to endeavour to weld my personal results and those of other workers into a comprehensive picture. It was with these aims in mind that the following study was conceived. A further goal was to attempt to show to what extent research on carabids can contribute to the larger fields of research encompassing ecology, ethology and evolution. In my opinion the investigations on carabids permit us to draw conclusions of general applicability and, as such, comparable with those made in recent years upon other groups of animals. I am well aware of the risk involved nowadays in attempting, on one's own, to integrate results from a wide variety of scientific disciplines into a meaningful whole, and for this reason I am always grateful for corrections and for additional information. It is impossible for me to mention by name all of the col leagues who have given me their support in the preparation of the book. Reprints of their publications have been placed at my disposal by almost all of the authors cited, as well as by others whose names and works have been omitted merely in order to prevent the book from taking on encyclopedic pro portions. I am nevertheless indebted to them all for their cooperation.

It is only since 1970 that the potential role of carabid beetles in agroecosystems has begun to be appreciated. This volume provides an overview of research literature on this widely distributed and beneficial insect, covering its habitat, its role in pest control and in the diet of farmland wildlife, and its value as a bioindicator.

This book, dedicated to Konjev Desender and Jean-Pierre Maelfait, is made up of a collection of 30 papers presented at the XIV European Carabidologists? Meeting in Westerbork, the Netherlands (September, 2009). Seventy-five specialists from 20 countries of Europe and Asia attended the meeting. Traditionally, the proceedings volumes of the European Carabidologists Meeting have become important milestones outlining the latest trends and achievements in carabidology.ÿThe aim of the organisers was to invite specialists from different countries and scientific schools to present both traditional and innovative approaches and methods in studying ground beetles. This volume includes a wide range of topics, from the description of new species, taxonomy, a summary of the activities of carabidologists during the last 40 years, biogeographical issues, methodology, behaviour, indicators, environmental issues and conservation. The book will be of use to carabidologists, specialists in traditional and molecular systematics, general and applied ecology, conservation biology, bioindication, urban ecology and biogeography.

This open access book presents and analyzes the results of more than 30 years of long-term ecological research in riparian forest ecosystems with the aim of casting light on changes in the dynamics of riparian forests over time. The research, focusing on the Ooyamazawa riparian forest, one of the remaining old-growth forests in Japan, has yielded a number of interesting outcomes. First, it shows that large-scale disturbances afford various trees opportunities for regeneration and are thus the driving force for the coexistence of canopy trees in riparian forests. Second, it identifies changes in reproductive patterns, highlighting that seed production has in fact quantitatively increased over the past two decades. Third, it describes the decline in forest floor vegetation caused by deer grazing and reveals how this decline has affected bird and insect populations. The book illustrates the interconnectedness of phenomena within an ecosystem and the resultant potential for cascade effects and also stresses the need for long-term ecological studies of climate change impacts on forests. It will be of interest to both professionals and academics in the field of forest science.

Ground beetles (Carabidae, including tiger beetles, paussid beetles and bombardier beetles) are one of the most diverse insect families in Europe. This title provides an introduction to the biogeography and habitat types of Greece as well as ecological data of the carabid species.