Osmoderma eremita is a species of beetle that inhabits hollows in ancient trees, which is a habitat that has decreased significantly during the last century. In southeastern Sweden, we studied the metapopulation dynamics of this beetle over a 25 year period, using capture-mark-recapture. The metapopulation size had been rather stable over time, but in most of the individual trees there had been a positive or negative trend in population development. The probability of colonisation was higher in well-connected trees with characteristics reflecting earlier successional stages, and the probability of extinction higher in trees with larger diameter (i.e. in later successional stages), which is expected from a habitat-tracking metapopulation. The annual tree mortality and fall rates (1.1% and 0.4%, respectively) are lower than the colonisation and extinction rates (5–7%), indicating that some of the metapopulation dynamics are due to the habitat dynamics, but many colonisations and extinctions take place for other reasons, such as stochastic events in small populations. The studied metapopulation occurs in an area with a high density of hollow oaks and where the oak pastures are still managed by grazing. In stands with fewer than ten suitable trees, the long-term extinction risk may be considerable, since only a small proportion of all hollow trees harbours large populations, and the population size in trees may change considerably during a decade.

渗透皮是一种甲虫，栖息在古树的空洞中，该树在上个世纪已大大减少。在瑞典东南部，我们使用捕获标记捕获技术研究了这种甲虫在25年内的种群动态。随着时间的推移，种群的规模一直相当稳定，但是在大多数个体树中，种群发展呈正或负趋势。具有良好连接特性且反映早期演替阶段特征的树木定植的可能性较高，而直径较大的树木（即后期演替阶段）灭绝的可能性较高，这是根据生境追踪的种群预测的。每年的树木死亡率和跌倒率（1.1％和0.4％，分别低于定居和灭绝的比率（5-7％），这表明某些种群动态是由于栖息地的动态所致，但是许多定殖和灭绝是由于其他原因而发生的，例如小种群中的随机事件。所研究的种群分布发生在中空橡树密度高的地区，而橡树牧场仍通过放牧来管理。在拥有不到十棵合适树木的林分中，长期灭绝的风险可能会很大，因为所有空心树中只有一小部分拥有大量人口，并且树木的种群数量在十年内可能会发生很大变化。例如人口少的随机事件。所研究的种群分布发生在中空橡树密度高的地区，而橡树牧场仍通过放牧来管理。在拥有不到十棵合适树木的林分中，长期灭绝的风险可能会很大，因为所有空心树中只有一小部分拥有大量人口，并且树木的种群数量在十年内可能会发生很大变化。例如人口少的随机事件。所研究的种群分布发生在中空橡树密度高的地区，而橡树牧场仍通过放牧来管理。在拥有不到十棵合适树木的林分中，长期灭绝的风险可能会很大，因为所有空心树中只有一小部分拥有大量人口，并且树木的人口规模在十年内可能会发生很大变化。