THREATENED BEETLES IN WHITE-BACKED WOODPECKER HABITATS

We explored the importance of habitats preferred by the endangered Whi te-backed Woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos)for threatened saproxylic b eetles (Coleoptera). We sampled 16 potential breeding forests of the W hite-backed Woodpecker in Finland and Russian Karelia. Our surveys yie lded 16 threatened species from a total of 39,485 identified beetle in dividuals. All 16 species and the woodpecker are dependent on the same resource, decaying wood, and at least some of the beetles even prefer successional deciduous habitats as does the woodpecker. Based on 6 ye ars of data, we conclude that the number of threatened beetle species in each of these forests is considerable (6 or move), although samples from one season included only 0-4 such species. These inconspicuous t hreatened species might be protected through use of the White-backed W oodpecker as an umbrella species to define suitable habitats. The wood peckers require approximately 50-100 ha of suitable habitat for breedi ng, suggesting that every woodpecker territory may include local popul ations of a number of threatened beetle species. If the White-backed W oodpecker can be saved in Finland, a suite of threatened saproxylic be etles will most likely be saved as well. We also need more information on the minimum requirements of the threatened beetles, which can be o btained only by continued study of the beetles themselves.