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Consequences of Spiraea tomentosa invasion in Uropodina mite (Acari: Mesostigmata) communities in wet meadows
AbstractVegetation cover has been consistently reported to be a factor influencing soil biota. Massive spreading of invasive plants may transform native plant communities, changing the quality of habitats as a result of modification of soil properties, most often having a directional effect on soil microorganisms and soil fauna. One of the most numerous microarthropods in the litter and soil is Acari. It has been shown that invasive plants usually have a negative effect on mites. We hypothesized that invasive Spiraea tomentosa affects the structure of the Uropodina community and that the abundance and species richness of Uropodina are lower in stands monodominated by S. tomentosa than in wet meadows free of this alien species. The research was carried out in wet meadows, where permanent plots were established in an invaded and uninvaded area of each meadow, soil samples were collected, soil moisture was determined and the mites were extracted. We found that Uropodina mite communities differed in the abundance of individual species but that the abundance and richness of species in their communities were similar. S. tomentosa invasion led primarily to changes in the quality of Uropodina communities, due to an increase in the shares of species from forest and hygrophilous habitats. Our results suggest that alien plant invasion does not always induce directional changes in mite assemblages, and conclude that the impact of an alien species on Uropodina may cause significant changes in the abundance and richness of individual species without causing significant changes in the abundance and diversity of their community.
Chrząszcze (Coleoptera) Wielkopolskiego Parku Narodowego., Część 1., Chrząszcze saproksyliczne nowe dla Parku oraz uwagi o ich biologii i ekologii
Botanical Evaluation of the Two-Year-Old Flower Strip with Analysis of the Local Carabidae Population: Case Study
Flower strips (FSs) are an effective way to support the sustainable development of agricultural land. Properly managed FS on agricultural fields provide stable habitats for local arthropod populations, but over the years, it can be colonized by plants from the soil seed bank and then become a nuisance to surrounding crops. The aim of this study was to assess the botanical composition of FS in one year after establishment and to analyze the local population of Carabidae, most of which are predatory. Inventory of flowering plants in situ was made regularly from the beginning of June to the end of July, while beetles were collected in mid-July and August. It was found that plant species from the sown seed commercial mixture continued to dominate in the second year, but the proportion of species from the soil seed bank was also noted, ranging from 7.41% to 39.88%. It was concluded that Trifolium pratense L. and Chrysanthemum leucanthemum L. should be particularly recommended for strip sowing in the observed habitats. The species diversity (H’) of Carabidae was higher in the FS than in the cultivated fields. However, when comparing the Shannon–Wiener index for wheat and FS, regardless of time observation, no significant differences were noted. The most abundant ground beetle in the FS was Harpalus rupees, a universal predator that also feeds on weed seeds. Significantly fewer species and individuals of Carabidae were found in the alfalfa field than in the FS and wheat fields. The number of Carabidae was significantly higher in August than in July.