Ecological restoration seeks to reestablish functioning ecosystems, but planning and evaluation often focus on taxonomic community structure and neglect consumers and their functional roles. The functional trait composition of insect assemblages, which make up the majority of animal diversity in many systems, can reveal how they are affected by restoration management and the consequences for ecosystem function. We sampled ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) assemblages in restored tallgrass prairies varying in management with prescribed fire and reintroduced American bison (Bison bison) to describe their taxonomic and functional trait structure. We also measured seed and arthropod predation to relate management, beetle assemblage characteristics, and function, and to test if function is maximized by trait diversity, dominant trait values, or beetle abundance. Beetle assemblages primarily varied with restoration age, declining over time in richness and both taxonomic and functional diversity, but bison presence also influenced taxonomic composition. Prescribed fire reduced seed predation in summer and arthropod predation in fall. Although seed predation was unrelated to beetle assemblages, arthropod predation was greater in sites with higher abundances of carnivorous ground beetles. The relatively weak impacts of fire and bison on functional assemblage structure is a promising sign that these management disturbances, aimed at supporting a diverse native plant community, are not detrimental to beetle assemblages. The significance of reduced predator function following prescribed fire will depend on the restoration context and whether seed or arthropod predation relates to management goals.

中文翻译：

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重新引入放牧者并规定火势对恢复后的草地中的甲虫组合结构和功能产生影响。

生态恢复力图重建正常运转的生态系统，但规划和评估通常侧重于生物分类群落结构，而忽视了消费者及其功能角色。昆虫组合的功能性状组成，在许多系统中占大多数动物多样性，可以揭示它们如何受到恢复管理的影响以及对生态系统功能的影响。我们在恢复的高草草原中对甲壳虫（鞘翅目：甲壳纲）组合进行采样，并根据规定的火种进行管理，然后重新引入美洲野牛（野牛野牛）描述其分类和功能性状结构。我们还测量了种子和节肢动物的捕食关系，以管理，甲虫的集合特征和功能，并测试是否通过性状多样性，优势性状值或甲虫丰度最大化了功能。甲虫组合主要随恢复年龄而变化，其丰富度以及分类学和功能多样性随时间下降，但野牛的存在也影响了分类学组成。规定的大火减少了夏季的种子捕食和秋季的节肢动物捕食。尽管种子的捕食与甲虫的组合无关，但在食肉的甲虫数量较多的地方，节肢动物的捕食却更多。火和野牛对功能组合结构的影响相对较弱，这是这些管理干扰的有希望的信号，旨在支持多样化的本地植物群落，但无损于甲虫组合。处方火后捕食者功能降低的重要性将取决于恢复环境以及种子或节肢动物的捕食是否与管理目标有关。