Role of the Siberian flying squirrel as an umbrella species for biodiversity in northern boreal forests
Abstract One of the potentially useful indirect shortcut methods in biodiversity conservation is the umbrella species concept. An umbrella species can be seen relatively demanding for the size of the area and probably also for certain habitat types: conservation management for the umbrella species would thus encompass other species preferring similar habitats but with smaller area requirements. As such, it has a comprehensive spatial aspect for landscape planning. We tested the role of the Siberian flying squirrel ( Pteromys volans ) as an umbrella species for wood dependent species among red-listed and old-growth forest associated polypores, epiphytic lichens and beetles. Flying squirrels …
A molecular-based identification resource for the arthropods of Finland
Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The Authors. Molecular Ecology Resources published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. To associate specimens identified by molecular characters to other biological knowledge, we need reference sequences annotated by Linnaean taxonomy. In this study, we (1) report the creation of a comprehensive reference library of DNA barcodes for the arthropods of an entire country (Finland), (2) publish this library, and (3) deliver a new identification tool for insects and spiders, as based on this resource. The reference library contains mtDNA COI barcodes for 11,275 (43%) of 26,437 arthropod species known from Finland, including 10,811 (45%) of 23,956 insect species. To quantify the…
Environmental correlates of the conservation value of boreal headwater streams and their riparian forests
Headwater streams and their riparian forests are considered as biodiversity hotspots and key habitats for the conservation of aquatic and terrestrial biota [1, 2]. However, most previous research has focused on single organism groups and studies providing a more comprehensive assessment of the conservation status of both stream and riparian fauna and flora do not exist. We used data ranging from near-pristine to strongly modified boreal headwater streams and their riparian forests to assess which in situ and larger scale environmental factors are the best determinants of the overall conservation value of sites. We then evaluated validity of the selected variables in predicting the conservat…