"Woody Plants of the Northern Forest – A Photographic Guide" by Jerry Jenkins, 2018. [book review]

The aim of the study was to assess the resource role of flowering woody plants in maintaining the biological diversity of insects. The studies were carried out in 2019–2020 in the northern forest-steppe of the Ob region during the flowering period of woody plants from the Oleaceae family of the genus Syringa: S. josikaea J. and S. vulgaris L. Insects were collected by mowing with an entomological net in the crowns and under-crown space. The flowering of plants attracted insects from more than 25 families from 7 orders. The largest number of insects belonged to the order Thysanoptera 79.2%, followed by representatives of the orders Hemiptera (7.1%) and Diptera (6.4%). The entomological faunas of S. josikaea and S. vulgaris differed significantly in their taxonomic composition, insects abundance, and their association with flowering periods. Low coefficients of similarity and high power of the factor “plant species” influence on biological diversity and the insects number were revealed. S. josikaea played a more significant role in maintaining the biological diversity of insects. Research showed that insects are associated with a certain species of woody plant.

Download Full-text

Biological diversity of insects on woody plants of the Rosacea family in the northern forest-steppe of the Ob region

Bulletin of NSAU (Novosibirsk State Agrarian University) ◽

10.31677/2072-6724-2021-58-1-45-55 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 45-55

Author(s):

T. V. Kuzmina ◽

E. Iu. Toropova

Keyword(s):

Woody Plants ◽

Biological Diversity ◽

Forest Steppe ◽

Jaccard Coefficient ◽

Flowering Period ◽

Northern Forest ◽

Amelanchier Alnifolia ◽

Introduced Plants ◽

Physocarpus Opulifolius ◽

Rosaceae Family

The aim of the study was to determine the influence of plant species and year conditions on the biological diversity and number of insects – inhabitants of the crown layer of woody plants of the Rosaceae family in the conditions of the northern forest-steppe of the Ob region. The research was carried out in 2017–2018. During the flowering period of woody entomophilous plants, insects were collected by mowing with an entomological net in the crowns and undercrown space (25 strokes in four repetitions). In the crown of woody introduced plants Pyrus ussuriensis (Ussuri pear), Prunus maackii (Maak plum), Amelanchier alnifolia (alder irga), Spiraea betulifolia (spiraea birch leaf), Physocarpus opulifolius growing on the territory of arboretum of RAS in the northern forest-steppe of the Ob region, a total of 2597 insect specimens from 7 orders and more than 30 families were found. The largest number of insects belonged to the order Diptera (49.4 %). Representatives of the orders Thysanoptera (23.7%) and Hymenoptera (11.4%) made a significant contribution to the formation of the entomofauna. The entomofauna of different species of woody plants from the Rosaceae family differed in the taxonomic groups of insects and their numbers. A high degree of enomofauna similarity (Jaccard coefficient is 0.75) was found between Amelanchier alnifolia and Pyrus ussuriensis with similar flowering periods. A low degree of similarity was found between Amelanchier alnifolia and Spiraea betulifolia (0.32) and between Pyrus ussuriensis and Physocarpus opulifolius (0.33). The species of the plant (38.1 and 26.1%, respectively) had the greatest influence on the biological diversity and the number of entomocomplexes, which indicates the adaptation of insects to a woody plant of the Rosaceae family. The conditions of the year significantly (by 9.8%) influenced the biological diversity of insects during the flowering period.

Download Full-text