scholarly journals Succession in harvestman (Opiliones) communities within an abandoned sand quarry in Belgium

2017 ◽  
Vol 147 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pallieter De Smedt ◽  
Sam Van de Poel
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Sand Mining ◽  
Forest Species ◽  
Natural Succession ◽  
Limited Mobility ◽  
Activity Density

Sand mining strongly alters the existing landscape, transforming an area into a mosaic of native (sand deposits) and foreign soils, strongly influencing biotic development. The method of restoration of such excavated areas is often debated: natural succession or active restoration. We investigated how natural succession shapes harvestman communities, as part of the soil-dwelling community. We sampled harvestmen over a continuous period of 14 months in 25 plots in an abandoned sand quarry in Belgium using pitfall traps. We found significant increases in harvestman activity-density, species richness and diversity with time since abandonment of the various sections of the quarry. After about 15 years, a drastic change in species composition was observed with the establishment of forest species that more strongly depend on humid conditions to complete their life cycle. Colonisation of harvestmen closely followed vegetation succession despite their limited mobility. We argue that natural succession could be a good management tool for restoring harvestman communities as well as those of other soil-dwelling invertebrates in abandoned sand quarries.

scholarly journals Environmental conditions affecting spiders in grasslands at the lower reach of the River Tisza in Hungary

2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Róbert Gallé ◽  
Norbert Vesztergom ◽  
Tamás Somogyi
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Relative Area ◽  
Lower Reach ◽  
Forest Species ◽  
Spider Species ◽  
Specialist Species ◽  
Grassland Types ◽  
Number Of Plant Species

The aims of the present study were to reveal the differences between grassland types, and to identify the local and landscape parameters that influence the spider assemblages at the reach of the River Tisza. The rarefied number of spider species was negatively correlated with the proportion of forests in a radius of 500 m around each site. A negative correlation was found between the number of grassland specialist species and the proportion of the forests, but the number of forest species increased significantly with the neighboring forest area. The relative area of neighboring forests, the number of plant species and regular flooding played major roles in shaping of the species composition of spiders. The results of the present study emphasize the importance of the effect of habitat landscape properties on spider assemblages. The structural diversity of the landscape may influence species richness and composition of the habitats.

scholarly journals Diversity and habitat use by snakes and lizards in coastal environments of southernmost Brazil

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 78-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maurício Beux dos Santos ◽  
Mauro Cesar Lamim Martins de Oliveira ◽  
Alexandro Marques Tozetti
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Habitat Complexity ◽  
Coastal Dunes ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Horizontal Distribution ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Coastal Environments ◽  
Vertical And Horizontal Distribution ◽  
Microclimate Conditions

This study examined species composition differences among snake and lizard assemblages from coastal dunes and restinga habitats in southernmost Brazil. Animals were collected between April 2009 and March 2010 using pitfall traps, artificial shelters, and time-constrained searches in grasslands areas susceptible to flooding. Species richness was higher in the restinga, but lower than the observed in other Brazilian biomes, possibly associated with more unstable microclimate conditions and low habitat complexity (vertical and horizontal distribution of the vegetation) in this habitat. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that the most abundant species of both snakes and lizards have fossorial habits. The assemblage of snakes is apparently mainly determined by abiotic characteristics of the habitat, while the assemblage of lizards, by vegetation cover.

Trichoptera of a Victorian forest stream: Species composition and life histories

1987 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 845 ◽  
Author(s):  
JC Dean ◽  
DI Cartwright
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
The Other ◽  
Leaf Pack ◽  
Forest Stream

The species composition and life histories of the Trichoptera of a Victorian forest stream were investigated for 21 months. Monthly samples were collected from zones of fast current in midstream over the whole study period, and also from side riffles and leaf-pack accumulations for periods of 7 and 8 months, respectively. In all, 40 species were recorded as larvae, and it is suggested that species richness is similar to comparable streams in the Northern Hemisphere. The communities of all three biotopes were dominated by Tamasia acuta (Calocidae). Information is presented on life histories of the nine most abundant species. Ethochorema turbidum (Hydrobiosidae) exhibited a non-seasonal life history, while the remaining eight species were seasonal and displayed varying degrees of synchrony. Tamasia acuta required 2-3 years to complete the life cycle, Alloerella grisea (Helicophidae) required 1-2 years, and the other six species were univoltine. Agapetus monticolus and A. kimminsi (Glossosomatidae) were temporally segregated, with the former emerging in spring and early summer and the latter in summer and autumn.

scholarly journals The entomofauna on the leaves of two forest species, Fagus sylvatica and Corylus avelana, in Menoikio Mountain of Serres

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 65
Author(s):  
M. G. Stoikou ◽  
P. P. Karanikola
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Fagus Sylvatica ◽  
Lymantria Dispar ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Adult Emergence ◽  
Insect Species ◽  
Forest Species ◽  
Leaf Flushing ◽  
Anobium Punctatum

The insect species composition and their abundance were investigated on the leaves of beech (Fagus sylvatica, Fagaceae) and hazel trees (Corylus avelana, Betulaceae) in the mixed forest located in Menoikio Mountain of Serres. For that purpose from April to June 2011 leaves were collected from the two forest species at weekly intervals and the insects found were reared in the laboratory under outdoor conditions and checked every day till their pupation and adult emergence. A total of 27 insect species was recorded. These insects belonged to seven orders. Fifteen Coleoptera species, 4 Hemiptera species, 3 of Lepidoptera species, 2 of Hymenoptera species and 1 species to the orders Diptera, Neuroptera, and Ephemeroptera were found. The results disclose that the number of insect species found on leaves of hazel trees was fewer than the insect species on beech trees. On hazel trees the population of Lymantria dispar (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) was much higher than in beech trees. The species of Coleoptera collected from hazel trees were Phyllobius pyri (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Rhynchaenus populi (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Agiotes acuminatus (Coleoptera: Elateridae). In beech trees the insect species found more frequently were Rhynchaenus fagi (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), Phyllobius pyri (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Anobium punctatum (Coleoptera: Anobiidae). The largest population of insects was observed at the end of spring, because the life cycle of the foliage insects were synchronized with leaf- flushing of the foliage.

scholarly journals Diversity of beetles (Coleoptera) in natural and planted saxaul forests (Haloxylon ammodendron) in the South Gobi Desert, Mongolia

ZooKeys ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 1000 ◽  
pp. 59-70
Author(s):  
Buyanjargal Batchuluun ◽  
Jens Wunderlich ◽  
Michael Schmitt
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Gobi Desert ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Haloxylon Ammodendron ◽  
Darkling Beetle ◽  
Darkling Beetles ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance ◽  
Black Saxaul

We investigated species composition and diversity parameters of beetle communities in two planted saxaul (Haloxylon ammodendron, black saxaul) forests in Southern Mongolia. We also studied nearby natural areas for comparison. Beetles were mainly collected by pitfall traps. 1064 individuals of 38 species of 22 genera in 4 beetle families were identified from planted plots. In comparison, a total of 1395 beetles belonging to 40 species of 24 genera in seven families were collected and identified from the natural saxaul plots. The most diverse beetle families were darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae, 18 species) and snout beetles (Curculionidae, 15 species) in planted and natural saxaul plots. We recorded several species (Apatophysis serricornis, Cephogenia chinensis, and Eumylada punctifera punctifera) which are associated with the saxaul tree. A darkling beetle, Anatolica potanini, was the dominant species in both natural and planted plots of the Nariin Zag forest. There were significant differences in the species richness and abundance between the planted and natural plots of the Ukhaa Zag forest. It is possible that the age of the plantation drove the differences. The higher values of diversity indices and species richness in the planted plots can be explained by the presence of rare species, represented by only one or two individuals. The planted plots and corresponding natural plots within each forest were more similar to each other in species composition and abundance than between forests.

scholarly journals Disentangling the Ecological Determinants of Species and Functional Trait Diversity in Herb-Layer Plant Communities in European Temperate Forests

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 552
Author(s):  
Janez Kermavnar ◽  
Lado Kutnar ◽  
Aleksander Marinšek
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Forest Stand ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Herb Layer ◽  
Bud Bank ◽  
Tree Species Composition ◽  
Stand Characteristics

Forest herb-layer vegetation responds sensitively to environmental conditions. This paper compares drivers of both taxonomic, i.e., species richness, cover and evenness, and functional herb-layer diversity, i.e., the diversity of clonal, bud bank and leaf-height-seed plant traits. We investigated the dependence of herb-layer diversity on ecological determinants related to soil properties, climatic parameters, forest stand characteristics, and topographic and abiotic and biotic factors associated with forest floor structure. The study was conducted in different forest types in Slovenia, using vegetation and environmental data from 50 monitoring plots (400 m2 each) belonging to the ICP Forests Level I and II network. The main objective was to first identify significant ecological predictors and then quantify their relative importance. Species richness was strongly determined by forest stand characteristics, such as richness of the shrub layer, tree layer shade-casting ability as a proxy for light availability and tree species composition. It showed a clear positive relation to soil pH. Variation in herb-layer cover was also best explained by forest stand characteristics and, to a lesser extent, by structural factors such as moss cover. Species evenness was associated with tree species composition, shrub layer cover and soil pH. Various ecological determinants were decisive for the diversity of below-ground traits, i.e., clonal and bud bank traits. For these two trait groups we observed a substantial climatic signal that was completely absent for taxonomy-based measures of diversity. In contrast, above-ground leaf-height-seed (LHS) traits were driven exclusively by soil reaction and nitrogen availability. In synthesis, local stand characteristics and soil properties acted as the main controlling factors for both species and trait diversity in herb-layer communities across Slovenia, confirming many previous studies. Our findings suggest that the taxonomic and functional facets of herb-layer vegetation are mainly influenced by a similar set of ecological determinants. However, their relative importance varies among individual taxonomy- and functional trait-based diversity measures. Integrating multi-faceted approaches can provide complementary information on patterns of herb-layer diversity in European forest plant communities.

Species Composition and Species Richness in the Hetao Irrigation Region Drainage Ditches, Northern China

2013 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Zhao ◽  
Xin-rong Li ◽  
Zhi-shan Zhang ◽  
Yi-gang Hu ◽  
Pan Wu
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Northern China ◽  
Drainage Ditches
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