Soil spiders were pitfall-trapped once every month in three forest vegetation types of Ziwuling natural secondary forest region, Gansu Province from April to October, 2004. A total of 2 164 spiders were collected, bel...Soil spiders were pitfall-trapped once every month in three forest vegetation types of Ziwuling natural secondary forest region, Gansu Province from April to October, 2004. A total of 2 164 spiders were collected, belonging to 43 species in 19 families, captured in 630 pitfall trap collections. Linyphiidae, Gnaphosidae and Lycosodae were found to be the dominant families in all habitat types, and the composition of soil spider assemblages was different between the three habitats. Ecological indices of diversity, richness and evenness were significantly different between the three habitats （ P 〈 0.05）. The relative abundance of guilds （based on numbers of individuals） varied greatly （P 〈 0.01）, which may releet resource availability within habitat types. The existence of different patterns within the assemblages reflects the importance of maintaining habitat heterogeneity and vegetation types in order to preserve soil spider biodiversity.展开更多
Pheidole oxyops builds subterranean nests, with an external architecture that is distinctive and easily recognizable by its wide and specific entrance hole, measuring up to 12.2 cm in diameter, denoting a pitfall-trap...Pheidole oxyops builds subterranean nests, with an external architecture that is distinctive and easily recognizable by its wide and specific entrance hole, measuring up to 12.2 cm in diameter, denoting a pitfall-trap. In order to study the nests＇ internal architecture, seven nests were excavated; four were identified with neutral talc, while the others were cast in cement and then excavated. Measurements were made in order to gain a better understand- ing of their structures, and a photographic documentation was obtained as well. The excavations revealed that the nests are perpendicular relative to the ground, beginning with a cylindrical channel with a mean length of 13.5 cm, containing irregular formations, and whose diameter becomes progressively narrower until the first chamber is formed. As the channel continues, dish-like chambers appear, interconnected by channels that become progressively narrower and longer, while the chambers are arranged at greater distances from each other as nest depth increases. Both channels and chambers are located on the vertical projection of the entrance hole. Nests may reach a depth of up to 5.09 m, with a number of chambers ranging between 4 and 14.展开更多
Current global warming is particularly pronounced in the Arctic and arthropods are expected to respond rapidly to these changes. Long-term studies of individual arthropod species from the Arctic are, however, virtuall...Current global warming is particularly pronounced in the Arctic and arthropods are expected to respond rapidly to these changes. Long-term studies of individual arthropod species from the Arctic are, however, virtually absent. We examined butterfly specimens collected from yellow pitfall traps over 14 years （1996-2009） at Zackenberg in high-arctic, north-east Greenland. Specimens were previously sorted to the family level. We identified them to the species level and examined long-term species-specific phenological responses to recent summer wanning. Two species were rare in the samples （Polaris fritillary Boloria polaris and Arctic blue Plebejus glandon） and statistical analyses of phenological responses were therefore restricted to the two most abundant species （Arctic fritillary, B. chariclea and Northern clouded yellow Colias hecla）. Our analyses demonstrated a trend towards earlier flight seasons in B. chariclea, but not in C. hecla. The timing of onset, peak and end of the flight season in B. chariclea were closely related to snowmelt, July temperature and their interaction, whereas onset, peak and end of the flight season in C. hecla were only related to timing of snowmelt. The duration of the butterfly flight season was significantly positively related to the temporal overlap with floral resources in both butterfly species. We further demonstrate that yellow pitfall traps are a useful alternative to transect walks for butterfly recording in tundra habitats. More phenological studies of Arctic arthropods should be carded out at the species level and ideally be analysed in context with interacting species to assess how ongoing climate change will affect Arctic biodiversity in the near future [Current Zoology 60 （2）： 243-251, 2014].展开更多
Arthropod assemblages and decomposition rates were compared in the litter of pure and mixed Quercus(Quercus petraea L.)and Fagus(Fagus orientalis L.)stands.Litter was sampled on a monthly basis for 1 year and stored i...Arthropod assemblages and decomposition rates were compared in the litter of pure and mixed Quercus(Quercus petraea L.)and Fagus(Fagus orientalis L.)stands.Litter was sampled on a monthly basis for 1 year and stored in litterbags of different mesh sizes.The experimental objective was to test the effect of mesh size on litter decomposition,decomposition rates of litter,and diversity of the invertebrate fauna between the two types of stands.Decomposition rates were measured by filling three fiber litterbags of different mesh sizes with pure Quercus litter(3 g)left in the pure Quercus stand,and litterbags with Fagus litter(3 g)were left in the pure Fagus stand.Mixed litter samples were prepared by mixing of equal amounts of each litter in the same litterbag and leaving them in the mixed stand.The residual mass of litter from the pure Quercus stand was significantly lower in fine-and coarse-mesh bags than in the medium-mesh bags in pure the Fagus stand.Carbon and nitrogen levels in the pure Quercus litter were significantly different among the mesh sizes at the end of the incubation period.Macroarthropods from 27 taxa were collected from pitfall traps every month.Their relative numbers differed significantly between the pure and mixed-stand litter samples.Litter-dwelling Isotomidae(Collembola)and Mesostigmata(Acarina),and soil-dwelling Mesostigmata were the most numerous in the mixed stand.It is significant that the abundance of macroarthropods contributed to the mass loss of litter in both the medium and coarse mesh sizes in the mixed stand,but did not significantly affect the mass of litter in the pure stands.In the mixed stand,there was a negative correlation between litter mass loss and total number of microarthropods in all mesh sizes.Mixed-stand litter decomposed more slowly than pure-stand litter.展开更多
文摘Soil spiders were pitfall-trapped once every month in three forest vegetation types of Ziwuling natural secondary forest region, Gansu Province from April to October, 2004. A total of 2 164 spiders were collected, belonging to 43 species in 19 families, captured in 630 pitfall trap collections. Linyphiidae, Gnaphosidae and Lycosodae were found to be the dominant families in all habitat types, and the composition of soil spider assemblages was different between the three habitats. Ecological indices of diversity, richness and evenness were significantly different between the three habitats （ P 〈 0.05）. The relative abundance of guilds （based on numbers of individuals） varied greatly （P 〈 0.01）, which may releet resource availability within habitat types. The existence of different patterns within the assemblages reflects the importance of maintaining habitat heterogeneity and vegetation types in order to preserve soil spider biodiversity.
文摘Pheidole oxyops builds subterranean nests, with an external architecture that is distinctive and easily recognizable by its wide and specific entrance hole, measuring up to 12.2 cm in diameter, denoting a pitfall-trap. In order to study the nests＇ internal architecture, seven nests were excavated; four were identified with neutral talc, while the others were cast in cement and then excavated. Measurements were made in order to gain a better understand- ing of their structures, and a photographic documentation was obtained as well. The excavations revealed that the nests are perpendicular relative to the ground, beginning with a cylindrical channel with a mean length of 13.5 cm, containing irregular formations, and whose diameter becomes progressively narrower until the first chamber is formed. As the channel continues, dish-like chambers appear, interconnected by channels that become progressively narrower and longer, while the chambers are arranged at greater distances from each other as nest depth increases. Both channels and chambers are located on the vertical projection of the entrance hole. Nests may reach a depth of up to 5.09 m, with a number of chambers ranging between 4 and 14.
文摘Current global warming is particularly pronounced in the Arctic and arthropods are expected to respond rapidly to these changes. Long-term studies of individual arthropod species from the Arctic are, however, virtually absent. We examined butterfly specimens collected from yellow pitfall traps over 14 years （1996-2009） at Zackenberg in high-arctic, north-east Greenland. Specimens were previously sorted to the family level. We identified them to the species level and examined long-term species-specific phenological responses to recent summer wanning. Two species were rare in the samples （Polaris fritillary Boloria polaris and Arctic blue Plebejus glandon） and statistical analyses of phenological responses were therefore restricted to the two most abundant species （Arctic fritillary, B. chariclea and Northern clouded yellow Colias hecla）. Our analyses demonstrated a trend towards earlier flight seasons in B. chariclea, but not in C. hecla. The timing of onset, peak and end of the flight season in B. chariclea were closely related to snowmelt, July temperature and their interaction, whereas onset, peak and end of the flight season in C. hecla were only related to timing of snowmelt. The duration of the butterfly flight season was significantly positively related to the temporal overlap with floral resources in both butterfly species. We further demonstrate that yellow pitfall traps are a useful alternative to transect walks for butterfly recording in tundra habitats. More phenological studies of Arctic arthropods should be carded out at the species level and ideally be analysed in context with interacting species to assess how ongoing climate change will affect Arctic biodiversity in the near future [Current Zoology 60 （2）： 243-251, 2014].
基金supported by the Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Istanbul University,Project number3122
文摘Arthropod assemblages and decomposition rates were compared in the litter of pure and mixed Quercus(Quercus petraea L.)and Fagus(Fagus orientalis L.)stands.Litter was sampled on a monthly basis for 1 year and stored in litterbags of different mesh sizes.The experimental objective was to test the effect of mesh size on litter decomposition,decomposition rates of litter,and diversity of the invertebrate fauna between the two types of stands.Decomposition rates were measured by filling three fiber litterbags of different mesh sizes with pure Quercus litter(3 g)left in the pure Quercus stand,and litterbags with Fagus litter(3 g)were left in the pure Fagus stand.Mixed litter samples were prepared by mixing of equal amounts of each litter in the same litterbag and leaving them in the mixed stand.The residual mass of litter from the pure Quercus stand was significantly lower in fine-and coarse-mesh bags than in the medium-mesh bags in pure the Fagus stand.Carbon and nitrogen levels in the pure Quercus litter were significantly different among the mesh sizes at the end of the incubation period.Macroarthropods from 27 taxa were collected from pitfall traps every month.Their relative numbers differed significantly between the pure and mixed-stand litter samples.Litter-dwelling Isotomidae(Collembola)and Mesostigmata(Acarina),and soil-dwelling Mesostigmata were the most numerous in the mixed stand.It is significant that the abundance of macroarthropods contributed to the mass loss of litter in both the medium and coarse mesh sizes in the mixed stand,but did not significantly affect the mass of litter in the pure stands.In the mixed stand,there was a negative correlation between litter mass loss and total number of microarthropods in all mesh sizes.Mixed-stand litter decomposed more slowly than pure-stand litter.
