Section

Ecology

Title

TREE PATCHES AS HABITATS OF GROUND DWELLING ARTHROPODS IN THE CENTER OF AN URBAN AREA: A CASE STUDY OF KALUGA, RUSSIA

Сontributors

V. V. Aleksanov, Ph. D. (Biology), Head of the division, Kaluga Region Eco-biological center, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;

I. E. Galemina, undergraduate student, Kaluga Region Eco-biological center, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;

M. N. Sionova, Ph. D. (Biology), Associate Professor, Kaluga State University, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

We examined an agricultural plot in the center of Kaluga with three small (300—400 м2) tree patches: 1) tillable apple garden with mowing herbage; 2) a line of trees (box elder and lilac); 3) early-stage broadle aved woodland (arboretum) with a rich young growth of the Norway maple. Arthropods were sampled using pitfall traps at 2007, 2011, and 2015.

Beetles (imago), spiders, and woodlice compose a bulk of arthropods. Since 2007 to 2015 the percentage of flat-backed millipedes (Polydesmida), imagoes of ground beetles (Carabidae), rove beetles (Staphylinidae), and larvae of holometamorphic insects decreased. The percentage of spiders and earwigs increased.

Harvestmen (Opiliones) and bugs (Heteroptera) preferred the arboretum and avoid the garden during all years and all seasons.

Since 2007 to 2015 the contribution of the arboretum to the abundance of spiders, woodlice, and rove beetles increased. Correspondently, significance of the garden to these arthropods decreased. Contrary, the contribution of the garden to the abundance of Leio- didae beetles, leaf-beetles (Chrysomelidae), leafhoppers (Auchenorrhyncha), and earwigs increased during 2007—2015.

It can take place due to the differentiations of the explored patches as habitats for arthropods between seasons. So the woodlouse Trachelipus rathkii was drawn to the arboretum during the most part of studied period. But in the middle of summer in 2015 it had the maximum of abundance in the garden, and in October it had the most abundance in the tree line. The earwig Forficula auricularia was the most abundant in the tree line in early summer of 2015, but in middle summer the maximum of its abundance fall to the garden. Earwigs occurred close exclusively in the arboretum in spring and first half of summer of 2011, but earwigs had a great abundance in the garden in autumn.

The results suggest that the arboretum has the greatest value as a habitat of arthropods, because it is the most close to the “native” forests. But two other types of tree patches can give a contribution to conservation of some arthropods in urban areas.

Keywords

urban areas, tree patches, orchard, arboretum, habitat, perennial dynamics, seasonal activity, ground dwelling arthropods, woodlice, earwigs.

References

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