Disentangling landscape and local drivers of ground-dwelling beetle community assembly in an urban ecosystem.

Community assembly is the process by which local communities are organized and maintained from the regional species pool. Understanding processes of insect assembly are of interest in "shrinking" cities where vacant land has become abundant as a result of protracted economic decline and population loss. Vacant land represents a viable conservation space for insects such as beetles that contribute to ecosystem services including pest suppression, decomposition, and nutrient cycling.