Ground beetle (Coleoptera, Carabidae) spatial distribution in a meadow catena

The spatial distribution of ground beetle species in a meadow catena in Udmurtia was studied for the first time. The material was collected using pitfall traps, and the data were analyzed through multivariate statistical methods. Species distribution was examined across six catena positions: placor, eluvial, three transit positions, and the accumulative. Statistically significant differences were found in ground beetle community composition and structure among these positions. The most important factors determining the composition and structure of the ground beetle population in the studied catena were slope steepness, total projective vegetation cover, and the projective cover of mesoxerophytes. Species richness and abundance generally increased down the catena, peaking at the lowest, accumulative position. The most substantial shifts in ground beetle community composition and structure occurred at the boundaries between the accumulative position and the slope. The analysis of area-specific latitudinal groups of ground beetles demonstrated a clear trend: the number of boreal species escalates as one descends the catena.