ORIGINAL PAPER The effect of alpine ski-slopes on epigeic beetles: does even a nature-friendly management make a change? J. Kas ˇa ´k • M. Mazalova ´ • J. S ˇ ipos ˇ • T. Kuras Received: 31 January 2013 / Accepted: 13 June 2013 / Published online: 21 June 2013 Ó Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013 Abstract Unique alpine ecosystems are threatened by skiing activities all over the world. We studied the effect of alpine ski-slopes on epigeic beetles by pitfall trapping in the Prade ˇd National Nature Reserve (Czech Republic) where the management of ski-slopes has never caused any disturbance to the vegetation cover. Using a mixed mod- elling approach, we demonstrate a significant effect of ski- slope management on the epigeic beetle community, including its functional diversity. Beetle species responded to the ski-slope individually. We found a noticeable decline in the abundance of most species in the patches with arti- ficially increased accumulation of snow, i.e. close to the interior edges of the ski-slopes. Above all, the ski-slopes were not preferred by relict species such as Neagolius limbolarius, Minota carpathica and Liotrichus affinis but vagile widespread carabids (Amara lunicollis, Poecilus versicolor) and herbivores associated with nitrophilous plants (Gastrophysa viridula) were more abundant on the ski-slopes. A few stenotypic carnivorous and herbivorous species were found on the ski-slopes. A high abundance of mountain herbivores such as leaf beetle Timarcha metal- lica reflected an increased occurrence of their host plants and carnivores such as Carabus sylvestris and Pterostichus oblongopunctatus could prefer ski-slopes due to the locally increased food supply. With respect to both uniqueness of alpine communities and to the small extent of alpine treeless zone, we recommend considering very cautiously any potential expansion of ski resorts, even those with reasonable ‘nature-friendly’ practices. Keywords Ski-slopes Á Epigeic beetles Á Alpine ecosystems Á Functional diversity Á Conservation Introduction Mountain ecosystems are biologically important and dis- tinct (Nagy and Grabherr 2009). The fragmented character of high altitude habitats in the Europe mountain ranges, with patches of alpine meadows isolated by forests, has caused long-lasting isolation and development of specific communities with many endemic taxa of plants and ani- mals (Brandmayr et al. 2003; Negro et al. 2007; Coldea et al. 2009; Kuras et al. 2009). Alpine meadows in the highest mountain ranges of Central Europe are strongly isolated and comprise relatively small areas with surpris- ingly high biodiversity. For example, the Hruby ´ Jesenı ´k Mountains represent an insect hot-spot of species richness within the whole High Sudetes (Bı ´la ´ et al. 2012). Threats to alpine communities that are very sensitive to disturbances (Baur et al. 2007; Negro et al. 2007; Nagy and Grabherr 2009) are mostly anthropogenic (Negro et al. 2010) and one of the most significant and complex anthropogenic impacts is the development of winter sport resorts (Titus and Tsuyuzaki 1998; Wipf et al. 2005; Ro- lando et al. 2007; Kangas et al. 2009; Kubota and Shimano 2010). Ski resorts attract many visitors and play a key role in the development of regional economies (Isselin-Non- dedeu and Be ´de ´carrats 2007). However, intensive winter tourism in mountain regions often strongly and irreversibly J. Kas ˇa ´k Laboratory of Ornithology and Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Palacky ´ University, 17. Listopadu 50, 771 46 Olomouc, Czech Republic M. Mazalova ´(&) Á J. S ˇ ipos ˇ Á T. Kuras Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Palacky ´ University, Trˇ. Svobody 26, 771 46 Olomouc, Czech Republic e-mail: mazalka.m@seznam.cz 123 J Insect Conserv (2013) 17:975–988 DOI 10.1007/s10841-013-9579-3