Ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) as a tool for environmental management: a geographical information system based on carabids and vegetation for the Karst near Trieste (Italy)

Human activities cause changes in the equilibrium between natural and agricultural landscape owing to the unforeseeable and confused expansion of the urban environment. Ecological indicators well correlated with the natural value of the environment, such as carabid beetles, are useful to manage it. Carabid coenoses have been used in an ecological study of the Karst landscape, with the purpose of assessing the impact related to the building of the “Elettra” synchrotron research laboratories, and suggesting some environmental improvements in the surrounding areas, so as to counterbalance, on the whole, the loss of natural value caused by the buildings.