Beetles in the city: Ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in Coquitlam, British Columbia as indicators of human disturbance

Urban development may cause adverse effects on the ecological integrity of natural areas in cities through habitat loss and fragmentation. Biological communities in habitat fragments may be altered, which may, in turn, negatively impact ecosystem services that contribute to the sustainability of urban areas. As such, methods are required to assess anthropogenic impacts on urban habitats. Here, results are presented of ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) monitoring in habitat fragments in Coquitlam, British Columbia. Ground beetle diversity in Coquitlam is highest in small, disturbed sites that include both native and introduced European species. Several European carabid species are effective biological indicators of anthropogenic disturbance in urban habitat fragments. Because of the relative ease of collection and identification of carabids, monitoring of carabids by citizen scientists can be used to assess human impacts on urban ecosystems.