Grasshopper (Orthoptera: Acrididae) Community Composition in the Rangeland of the Northern Slopes of the Qilian Mountains in Northwestern China

Abstract

In order to describe grasshopper (Orthoptera: Acrididae) species composition, diversity, abundance, and density of four rangelands types, we compared the grasshopper community composition and dynamics in the rangeland of the northern slopes of the Qilian Mountains. In total, 55 grasshopper species were collected from 2007 to 2009, representing three families and six subfamilies. The subfamily Oedipodinae was dominant, followed by Gomphocerinae and Catantopinae. Species abundance varied among rangeland types (RTs). The greatest abundance of grasshoppers was found in mountain rangeland, while the lowest abundance of grasshoppers was caught in alpine shrublands. Three species (Chorthippus cf. brunneus (Thunberg) (Acrididae), Chorthippus Dubius (Zubovski), and Gomphocerus licenti (Chang) were broadly distributed in the four RTs and constituted 7.5% of all grasshoppers collected. Ch. dubius was very abundant in desert rangeland and alpine shrubland. Bryodema dolichoptera Yin et Feng Eremippus qilianshanensis Lian and Zheng, and Filchnerella qilianshanensis Xi and Zheng (Pamphagidae) were endemic to the region of the Qilian Mountains. Species similarity between RTs ranged from 17.8 to 51.6 based on the Renkonen index. Similarly, the Sörensen index indicated a wide separation in species composition among RTs. The abundance of the eight most common species showed obvious differences among RTs and years. On average, mountain rangeland had the highest density values in 2007 and 2008, and alpine shrubland supported the smallest density. The densities in desert and mountain rangeland in 2007 were significantly higher than in 2008, while alpine rangeland and shrublands did not present obvious differences among years.

Yaks and sheep trigger different changes in the grasshopper assemblages of the Qilian Mountains via differentially altering plant assemblages

“…These conditions ought to affect grasshopper survival and GD adversely (Xu et al, 2014). However, some reports suggest that grasshoppers of subfamilies Oedipodinae and Thrinchinae generally prefer dry, warm soil with a paucity of grasses (Sun et al, 2015). Furthermore, bare soil conditions may be more favourable for oviposition (Hewitt, 1985;Joern, 2005;Jonas & Joern, 2007;Dempster, 2010).…”

“…Average annual rainfall and evaporation are 253 and 1828 mm, respectively. Soils of the Qilian Mountains are predominantly composed of a mixture of mountain chestnut soil and the highly fertile chernozem soil (Sun et al ., ).…”

“…For instance, the average daily external temperatures during the month of January plummet to 24.9 ∘ C below freezing, whereas the corresponding average in July is 14.1 ∘ C. Average annual rainfall and evaporation are 253 and 1828 mm, respectively. Soils of the Qilian Mountains are predominantly composed of a mixture of mountain chestnut soil and the highly fertile chernozem soil (Sun et al, 2015).…”

“…Apart from the question of whether yaks and sheep differentially affect grasshopper assemblages, the underlying mechanisms of such effects remain poorly understood. Ample research has demonstrated that the characteristics of the local plant assemblage, such as plant species (Joern, 2005;Van der Plas et al, 2012), composition (Van der Plas et al, 2012), and vegetation structure (Sun et al, 2015), affect grasshopper assemblages. It has also been shown that grasshopper traits, such as body size, are directly influenced by characteristics of the surrounding plant assemblage (Gebeyehu & Samways, 2003;O'Neill et al, 2010).…”

Population Dynamics and Transcriptomic Responses of Chorthippus albonemus (Orthoptera: Acrididae) to Herbivore Grazing Intensity

“…Although C. albonemus is a rare species in Central and South China, it is one of the main pest species in the Tibetan Plateau (Zhou et al, 2006). Grasshopper species composition, diversity, and abundance in grasslands have previously been described (Sun et al, 2015). However, no systematic studies have addressed the temporal dynamics and physiological responses of C. albonemus to grazing intensity in Inner Mongolia.…”