The succession of saproxylic beetles (Coleoptera) on windthrow areas in the Scots pine stands of the Piska Forest

Abstract

Sukcesja saproksylicznych chrz¹szczy (Coleoptera) na powierzchniach pohuraganowych w drzewostanach sosnowych Puszczy Piskiej 4 The succession of saproxylic beetles (Coleoptera) on windthrow areas in the Scots pine stands of the Piska Forest Abstract. The aim of our investigations was to identify the abundance and dynamics of species composition of saproxylic beetles in those Scots pine stands damaged by a windstorm in the Piska Forest in 2002. We compared three plots: (1) a windthrow area without human interference (reference forest 'Szast'), (2) an area managed after the windstorm, and (3) a control area, not disturbed by the windstorm. During study period (2005)(2006)(2007) we captured about 24,000 individual Coleoptera, belonging to 659 species, including 322 saproxylic species. Moreover, we discovered 42 species new to the Mazury Lake District. We encountered more species and specimens of Coleoptera in the stands managed after windstorm than in the reference forest 'Szast', but this difference was not statistically significant. The lowest number of specimens was found in those stands left undisturbed by the windstorm (control plot). The dominance structure in 'Szast' differed slightly from the community structure in managed stands and was completely different from that of the undisturbed forest. The Shannon-Weaver index of species diversity was highest for the stands not affected by the windstorm, substantially lower for the reference forest 'Szast', and lowest for managed windthrow stands. The difference between undisturbed forest and windthrow areas was considerably bigger than that between the reference forest 'Szast' and managed stands affected by the windstorm. During thee years of study, we recorded distinct changes in the dominance structure of beetles, a decrease of the species diversity index and statistically-significantly fewer species in 2007 than in 2005. Our investigations demonstrated that dead wood left in the forest did not cause an increase in those beetles considered as tree stand pests.Disturbance caused by windstorms positively affected species diversity of beetles in the Scots pine stands. The monitoring of succession in saproxylic beetle communities should be concomitant with the monitoring of dead wood and should be done on more than one reference surface.Key words: saproxylic beetles, Coleoptera, biodiversity, windthrow, pine stands, Piska Forest, NE Poland WstêpChrz¹szcze (Coleoptera) s¹ najbogatszym w gatunki rzêdem owadów. Ich liczbê ocenia siê w Polsce na oko³o 6 300. Chrz¹szcze saproksyliczne to grupa owadów uzale¿nionych od obecnooeci martwego drewna. Pod wzglêdem miejsca wystêpowania s¹ woeród nich gatunki ¿yj¹ce w korze, pod kor¹, w drewnie, a tak¿e w próchnie, natomiast pod wzglêdem rodzaju pokarmu -gatunki, których pokarmem s¹ grzyby rozk³adaj¹ce drewno, drapie¿ne chrz¹szcze od¿ywiaj¹ce siê owadami i innymi organizmami zasiedlaj¹cymi to oerodowisko, gatunki od¿ywiaj¹ce siê odchodami (koprofagi) oraz szcz¹tkami innych zwierz¹t saproksylicznych (nekrofagi) znajduj¹cych siê...

Seasonal dynamics of saproxylic beetles (Coleoptera) occurring in decaying birch (Betula spp.) wood in the Kampinos National Park

“…In this period, the majority of insects undergoes pupation, swarm and lay eggs. Similar results were also obtained by different authors who focussed on this subject matter (Schlaghamerský 2000; Byk et Byk 2004;Gutowski et al 2010;Mokrzycki 2011). Research conducted for the needs of following study confirm the difference between communities of beetles appearing in touchwood in particular months of the year.…”

The role of nature reserves in preserving saproxylic biodiversity: using longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) as bioindicators

“…The Margalef diversity index (d) (Margalef 1958), using natural logarithm, was applied in order to determine the longhorn beetle species diversity in particular sites. Valorisation of all sites was done according to the cumulative (Gutowski et al 2006(Gutowski et al , 2010 and noncumulative index of species value. The cumulative index was slightly modified by the authors regarding the categories used (exclusion of the categories unrelated to the presented study, for instance, species characteristic for pine forests) and it awards a given species for being present in all applicable categories, by summing up all relevant values.…”

Rosalia longicorn Rosalia alpina (LINNAEUS, 1758) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) as a host of the entomopathogenic fungus Cordyceps bassiana LI, LI, HUANG & FAN, 2001 (Ascomycota: Hypocreales)

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