Abstract
We investigated the species diversity and composition of carabid beetle assemblages in secondary deciduous broad-leaved forests in which litter is or is not removed annually to make compost in Motegi, Tochigi Prefecture, northern Kanto. The census for carabid beetles was conducted once a month from May to November in 2012, using 15 pitfall traps per plot, in three litter removal plots and three non-litter removal plots. Environmental factors (e.g., litter thickness, dominance of dwarf bamboo, and mean openness) and the density of earthworms were also measured in each plot. The environment of the forest floor was obviously different between the forests with or without litter removal. However, no clear differences in the diversity and community composition of carabid beetles were found between the forest floor treatments.
