scholarly journals New Litter Trap Devices Outperform Pitfall Traps for Studying Arthropod Activity

Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dolores Ruiz-Lupión ◽  
Jordi Pascual ◽  
Nereida Melguizo-Ruiz ◽  
Oriol Verdeny-Vilalta ◽  
Jordi Moya-Laraño
Keyword(s):  
Linear Models ◽  
Soil Fauna ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Relative Activity ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Ecological Experiments ◽  
Experimental Treatments ◽  
Activity Trap ◽  
Trap Catches ◽  
Adequate Method

Soil fauna play a key role in nutrient cycling and decomposition, and in recent years, researchers have become more and more interested in this compartment of terrestrial ecosystems. In addition, soil fauna can act as ecosystem engineers by creating, modifying, and maintaining the habitat for other organisms. Ecologists usually utilize live catches in pitfalls traps as a standard method to study the activity of epigeic fauna in addition to relative abundance. Counts in pitfall traps can be used as estimates of relative activity to compare among experimental treatments. This requires taking independent estimates of abundance (e.g., by sifting soil litter, mark–recapture), which can then be used as covariates in linear models to compare the levels of fauna activity (trap catches) among treatments. However, many studies show that the use of pitfall traps is not the most adequate method to estimate soil fauna relative abundances, and these concerns may be extensible to estimating activity. Here, we present two new types of traps devised to study activity in litter fauna, and which we call “cul-de-sac” and “basket traps”, respectively. We experimentally show that, at least for litter dwellers, these new traps are more appropriate to estimate fauna activity than pitfall traps because: (1) pitfall traps contain 3.5× more moisture than the surrounding environment, potentially attracting animals towards them when environmental conditions are relatively dry; (2) cul-de-sac and basket traps catch ca. 4× more of both meso- and macrofauna than pitfall traps, suggesting that pitfall traps are underestimating activity; and (3) pitfall traps show a bias towards collecting 1.5× higher amounts of predators, which suggests that predation rates are higher within pitfall traps. We end with a protocol and recommendations for how to use these new traps in ecological experiments and surveys aiming at estimating soil arthropod activity.

scholarly journals Influence of Pre-Sowing Operations on Soil-Dwelling Fauna in Soybean Cultivation

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 474
Author(s):  
Darija Lemic ◽  
Ivana Pajač Živković ◽  
Marija Posarić ◽  
Renata Bažok
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crop ◽  
Soil Fauna ◽  
Biological Indicators ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Beneficial Insects ◽  
The Family ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Natural Equilibrium ◽  
Positive Effect

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of different pre-sowing operations on the abundance and composition of total soil fauna in soybean cultivation, with special attention to carabids as biological indicators of agroecosystem quality. The study was conducted in central Croatia with six different pre-sowing activities (cover crop, mulching, ploughing, glyphosate, fertiliser removal, conventional tillage). Pitfall traps were used to collect soil fauna in April, June and September. After determining the abundance and composition of the fauna, their coenological characteristics were calculated and statistical analysis was performed. During the study, 7836 individuals of soil fauna were collected. The composition consisted of 84% beneficial, 8% harmful and 8% indifferent fauna. Class Insecta was the most numerous with a proportion of 56%, with most members of the family Carabidae (1622 individuals), followed by the class Arachnida (40%). The number of fauna collected was influenced by the interaction between pre-seeding intervention and sampling date. Pre-seeding interventions that did not involve soil activities did not affect the number and composition of soil fauna at the beginning of vegetation. Mechanical interventions in the soil and warmer and drier weather have a negative effect on the number and composition of soil fauna. As the season progresses, the influence of pre-sowing activities on soil fauna in soybean crops decreases. It seems that a reduction in mechanical activities in the shallow seed layer of the soil has a positive effect on species richness or diversity. Of particular note is the large proportion of beneficial insects that currently colonise the study area, characterising soil richness and stable natural equilibrium.

scholarly journals Estimates of catchment area of pitfall traps for carabids

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin Bergeron
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Catchment Area ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Species Level ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Circular Field ◽  
C 30 ◽  
Mixedwood Boreal Forest ◽  
The Relationship

Relationships between beetle abundance in the field and data collected from pitfall traps has generated much interest from several generations of carabidologists. Despite the argument and controversy about this relationship, pitfall data remain the main source of knowledge about carabid populations and assemblages in nature. In order to estimate the relationship between pitfall catches of carabids and catchment area in a homogenous deciduous forest, we constructed circular field enclosures of three sizes (radii: 2.5m, 5m and 10m) and sampled carabids using single pitfall traps located in the centre of each enclosure over 3 seasons (2014-2016). We found that overall beetle catches increased linearly with enclosure area during all three years, and the linear models were nearly identical for the two years (2014 and 2016) in which the data were comparable. We then extrapolated the relationship to predict the catchment area using unenclosed traps run simultaneously. For data from both 2014 and 2016, the catchment area for the assemblage is predicted to be 620-640 m2, representing a radius of c. 14.3 m. Interestingly, this value is consistent with the published inter-trap distance required for independence of trap captures at the same site. Unfortunately, but as expected, calibration of pitfall data at the species level is challenging because the best linear model fits vary considerably among species. Trap catchment area also increased during breeding season. Clearly, pitfall traps need to be set at least c. 30 meters apart to ensure independence of samples in mixedwood boreal forest.

scholarly journals RiboDiff: Detecting Changes of Translation Efficiency from Ribosome Footprints

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Zhong ◽  
Theofanis Karaletsos ◽  
Philipp Drewe ◽  
Vipin Thankam T Sreedharan ◽  
David Kuo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Linear Models ◽  
Protein Translation ◽  
Ribosome Profiling ◽  
Translation Regulation ◽  
Analysis Tool ◽  
Translation Efficiency ◽  
Case Control Studies ◽  
Statistical Framework ◽  
Experimental Treatments ◽  
Over Dispersion

Motivation: Deep sequencing based ribosome footprint profiling can provide novel insights into the regulatory mechanisms of protein translation. However, the observed ribosome profile is fundamentally confounded by transcriptional activity. In order to decipher principles of translation regulation, tools that can reliably detect changes in translation efficiency in case-control studies are needed. Results: We present a statistical framework and analysis tool, RiboDiff, to detect genes with changes in translation efficiency across experimental treatments. RiboDiff uses generalized linear models to estimate the over-dispersion of RNA-Seq and ribosome profiling measurements separately, and performs a statistical test for differential translation efficiency using both mRNA abundance and ribosome occupancy. Availability: Source code and documentation are available at http://github.com/ratschlab/ribodiff. Supplementary Material can be found at http://bioweb.me/ribo.

scholarly journals Woodlice of Belgium: an annotated checklist and bibliography (Isopoda, Oniscidea)

ZooKeys ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 801 ◽  
pp. 265-304
Author(s):  
Pallieter De Smedt ◽  
Pepijn Boerave ◽  
Gert Arijs ◽  
Stijn Segers
Keyword(s):  
Western Europe ◽  
Soil Fauna ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Species Status ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
Extensive Field ◽  
Complete Bibliography ◽  
Annotated Checklist

Woodlice are key organisms for nutrient cycling in many terrestrial ecosystems; however, knowledge on this invertebrate group is limited as for other soil fauna taxa. Here, we present an annotated checklist of the woodlice of Belgium, a small but densely populated country in Western Europe. We reviewed all 142 publications on Belgian woodlice, the oldest dating back to 1831 and re-identified all doubtful specimens from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) collection. These data is complemented with observations from extensive field surveys dating from March 2014 until December 2017. We report 36 species of woodlice with free-living populations for Belgium. Nine species can be added compared to the latest checklist published in 2000 being Hyloniscusriparius (C. Koch, 1838), Miktoniscuspatiencei Vandel, 1946, Trichoniscoidessarsi Patience, 1908, Haplophthalmusmontivagus Verhoeff, 1941, Porcelliomonticola Lereboullet, 1853, Metatrichoniscoidesleydigii (Weber, 1880), Trichoniscusalemannicus Verhoeff, 1917, Elumacaelata (Miers, 1877) and Philosciaaffinis Verhoeff, 1908. Two species are deleted from the checklist (Ligidiumgermanicum Verhoeff, 1901 and Armadillidiumdepressum Brandt, 1833) because records are doubtful and no material has been preserved. Additionally the data of the field surveys is used to determine a species status of occurrence in Belgium. For each species, a short overview of their first records is provided and their confirmation as part of the Belgian fauna, their current status, as well as a complete bibliography of the species in Belgium.

TRAPPING EVALUATION OF BEETLE VECTORS OF BLACK STAIN ROOT DISEASE IN DOUGLAS FIR

1990 ◽  
Vol 122 (3) ◽  
pp. 459-468 ◽  
Author(s):  
William D. Bedard ◽  
George T. Ferrell ◽  
Mark C. Whitmore ◽  
Allen S. Robertson
Keyword(s):  
Linear Models ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Pitfall Trap ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Root Disease ◽  
Trap Catch ◽  
Pitfall Trapping ◽  
Emergence Traps ◽  
Population Indices ◽  
Trap Catches

AbstractThe performance of unbaited emergence traps and attractant-baited pitfall and flight traps was compared on the basis of suitability to produce population indices for two beetles, Steremnius carinatus (Boheman) and Hylastes nigrinus (Mannerheim), colonizing roots of Douglas fir in northern California. These beetles transmit Ceratocystis wageneri Goheen and Cobb, the fungus causing black stain root disease in Douglas fir. Trap sites were near stumps along transect lines through recently logged areas. Pitfall traps were judged the most promising for both species based on their relatively high catches and low expense. Although catch by emergence traps was low for both species, they appeared to catch the majority of S. carinatus. For both species, pitfall trap catches varied with date, study area, trapping line within study area, and stump within line. A number of variables, such as diameter of stump or type of ground cover, were significantly correlated with trap catch, and made significant contributions to linear models with catch as the dependent variable. Differences between study areas in the effect of variables on catch, and the possibility that pitfall trapping is subject to artifacts, suggested that the results of pitfall trapping need to be carefully scrutinized if they are to be used as a population index.

Activity Patterns of Carabidae and Staphylinidae in Centipedegrass in Georgia

1993 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 299-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Kristine Braman ◽  
Andrew F. Pendley
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Relative Activity ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Seasonal Activity ◽  
Pitfall Trapping ◽  
Trapping Method

Pitfall traps were used to determine the carabid and staphylinid fauna in managed centipedegrass turf during 1989–1991. Twentyone species of carabids and 16 species of staphylinids were identified. The relative activity and species composition of the two families of beetles varied with year and site of study. Seasonal activity patterns, as indicated by the pitfall trapping method, for the most abundant species are presented.

Diversity and seasonal density of carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in relation to the soybean aphid in soybean crop in Québec, Canada

2012 ◽  
Vol 144 (4) ◽  
pp. 542-554 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annabelle Firlej ◽  
Annie-Ève Gagnon ◽  
Simon Laurin-Lemay ◽  
Jacques Brodeur
Keyword(s):  
Multivariate Analyses ◽  
Sampling Period ◽  
Soybean Aphid ◽  
Carabid Beetles ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Activity Density ◽  
Pterostichus Melanarius ◽  
Trap Catches ◽  
Field Location ◽  
Aphid Populations

AbstractWe studied the diversity and summer seasonal activity-density of Carabidae associated with soybean fields infested by the soybean aphid (Aphis glycinesMatsumura; Hemiptera: Aphididae) in Québec, Canada. Carabid beetles were sampled in six to seven fields from June to September 2004 and 2005 using pitfall traps. A total of 33 species from 15 genera were identified, with the exoticPterostichus melanarius(Illiger) (Coleoptera: Carabidae), representing 75.8% and 84.5% of all individuals trapped in 2004 and 2005, respectively. Large variations in species richness and diversity indexes were observed between fields within and between years. Multivariate analyses showed that carabid activity-density varied as a function of field location and sampling period, with individuals belonging to species overwintering as adults being more abundant early in the growing season. There was no relationship between carabid trap catches andA. glycinesdensity, suggesting that carabid beetles do not respond numerically to soybean aphid populations at the spatial scale studied.

scholarly journals Natural Surface Hydrocarbons and Soil Faunal Biodiversity: A Bioremediation Perspective

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 2358
Author(s):  
Sara Remelli ◽  
Pietro Rizzo ◽  
Fulvio Celico ◽  
Cristina Menta
Keyword(s):  
Eisenia Fetida ◽  
Soil Fauna ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Soil Sampling ◽  
Folsomia Candida ◽  
Total Abundance ◽  
Polluted Soils ◽  
Natural Oil ◽  
Oil Seepage ◽  
Diptera Larvae

Hydrocarbon pollution threatens aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems globally, but soil fauna in oil-polluted soils has been insufficiently studied. In this research, soil hydrocarbon toxicity was investigated in two natural oil seepage soils in Val D’Agri (Italy) using two different approaches: (i) toxicological tests with Folsomia candida (Collembola) and Eisenia fetida (Oligochaeta) and (ii) analysis of abundance and composition of micro- and meso-fauna. Soil sampling was done along 20 m-transepts starting from the natural oil seepages. Toxicological testing revealed that no exemplars of F. candida survived, whereas specimens of E. fetida not only survived but also increased in weight in soils with higher PAH concentrations, although no reproduction was observed. Analysis on microfauna showed that Nematoda was the most abundant group, with distance from seepages not affecting its abundance. Arthropoda results showed that Acarina, Collembola and Diptera larvae represented the most abundant taxa. The highest divergence in community composition was found between soils situated near seepages and at 5 m and 10 m distance. Arthropoda taxa numbers, total abundance and Acarina were lower in soils with high PAH concentration, while Diptera larvae were not significantly affected. Earthworms, together with Nematoda and Diptera larvae, could therefore represent ideal candidates in PAH degradation studies.

scholarly journals Threshold Reaction of Soil Arthropods to Simulative Nitrogen Deposition in Urban Green Spaces

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lingzi Mo ◽  
Guoliang Xu ◽  
Jiaen Zhang ◽  
Zhifeng Wu ◽  
Shiqin Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fauna ◽  
Cynodon Dactylon ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Nitrogen Addition ◽  
N Deposition ◽  
Treatment Level ◽  
Soil Arthropods ◽  
N Addition ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Urban Lawns

Sustained nitrogen (N) deposition has a wide-ranging impact on terrestrial ecosystems. However, still little attention has been paid to responses of urban soil fauna to the increasing N deposition. To clarify such effects on the soil properties and soil fauna in typical urban lawns (featuring Cynodon dactylon vegetation), a control experiment was conducted for 1 year, in which NH4NO3 was added as the external nitrogen source with four treatments of N addition: N0 (i.e., only water), N1 (50 kg N ha–1 yr–1), N2 (100 kg N ha–1 yr–1), N3 (150 kg N ha–1 yr–1). Results showed that N additions influence soil faunal communities in the urban lawns soil. The relative abundance of Oribatida increased with the N treatment level, partially replacing the more sensitive Collembola. Significant differences in the Shannon-Wiener and Margalef indices (p < 0.01) supported this statement. Although higher doses of N addition showed adverse effects on soil fauna communities, low N inputs increased the soil fauna diversity and richness, especially at 5–10 cm depth. A threshold effect appears to exist low nitrogen addition (<25 kg N ha–1) did not affect negatively pedofauna structure and composition, while in the range from these values up to 50 kg N ha–1, the composition of the soil fauna underwent major changes confirmed by the decline of biodiversity indices. These changes are accompanied by the decreased pH values with increasing N inputs.

scholarly journals Abundância e Diversidade de Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) em Fragmento e Reflorestamento no Norte do Paraná

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 114-119
Author(s):  
Kelly Cristina Comar ◽  
Thais dos Santos Vicente ◽  
Thaciana Lopes Coppo ◽  
José Lopes ◽  
João Antonio Cyrino Zequi
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fauna ◽  
Ground Beef ◽  
Native Vegetation ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Forest Fragment ◽  
High Similarity ◽  
Soil Fertilization ◽  
Swine Feces ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
The City

Resumo. Besouros Staphylinidae são importantes insetos da fauna edáfica por auxiliarem na facilitação da reciclagem de matéria orgânica animal ou vegetal e contribuir na fertilização do solo. Com a diminuição da vegetação nativa, algumas espécies de estafilinídeos têm dispersado e colonizado áreas antrópicas. Objetivou-se comparar abundância e diversidade de Staphylinidae em área de fragmento florestal e reflorestamento de mata ciliar. As coletas foram realizadas de março de 2007 a março de 2008 no município de Rancho Alegre – Paraná. Utilizaram-se armadilhas do tipo pitfall, sem atrativo e iscadas com banana madura, carne bovina moída e fezes suína. Foram coletados 743 espécimes de Staphylinidae, sendo 18,44% dos indivíduos provenientes do fragmento florestal e 81,56% do reflorestamento. O gênero Coproporus foi o mais abundante, com 46,43% do total coletado. A morfoespécie mais representativa na área de reflorestamento foi Coproporus sp.1 (39,77%) e no fragmento florestal Aleocharinae sp.1 com 27,0%. Bryoporus sp.1 e Pselaphinae sp.1 foram capturados unicamente no fragmento. Homaeotarsus sp.1, Staphylininaesp.1 e Xenopygus sp.1foram encontrados somente na área de recuperação, apresentando-se como espécies singleton. A maior atratividade foi em armadilhas iscadas com  banana. A semelhança entre as áreas em relação à diversidade (fragmento H’= 0,7673 e reflorestamento H’ = 0,6720) e alta similaridade (S=0,7826) entre estes dois habitats, indica que os estafilinídeos podem ser oportunistas e, portanto, possíveis bioindicadores de áreas degradadas.Abundance and Diversity of Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) in Fragment and Reforestation in Northern ParanáAbstract. Staphylinidae beetles are important insects of the soil fauna to assist in facilitating the recycling of organic animal or vegetable matter and contribute to soil fertilization. The decline of native vegetation,  made species of staphylinid  and scattered  colonized anthropogenic areas. The objective was to compare abundance and diversity of Staphylinidae in a forest fragment area and riparian reforestation. Samples were collected from March 2007 to March 2008 in the city of Rancho Alegre - Paraná. They were pitfall traps of the type, unattractive and baited with ripe bananas, ground beef and swine feces. Were collected 743 specimens of Staphylinidae, being 18.44% of the individuals from the forest fragment and 81.56% of reforestation. The Coproporus gender was the most abundant, with 46.43% of the total collected. The most representative morphospecies in the reforestation area was Coproporus sp.1 (39.77%) and forest fragment Aleocharinae sp.1 with 27.0%.  Bryoporus sp.1 and Pselaphinae sp.1 were captured only in the fragment. Homaeotarsus sp.1, Staphylininae sp.1 and Xenopygus sp.1 were found only in the recovery area, presenting itself as singleton species. The biggest attraction was in traps baited with banana. The similarity between areas in relation to diversity (fragment H'= 0.7673 and reforestation H' = 0.6720) and high similarity (S = 0.7826) between these two habitats, indicates that staphylinid can be opportunistic and, therefore, possible bio-indicators of degraded areas.

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