Naslov
Ant communities in Croatian basophilous fens

Autori
Bujan, Jelena ; Brigić, Andreja ; Šoštarić, Renata ; Sedlar, Zorana ;

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
Symposium Internationale Entomofaunisticum Europae Centralis XXII / - , 2011, 29-30

Skup
Symposium Internationale Entomofaunisticum Europae Centralis XXII

Mjesto i datum
Varaždin, Hrvatska, 29.06.2011. - 03.07.2011

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
ant communities; basophilous fens

Sažetak
The research of ant fauna was carried out using pitfall traps in two Croatian basophilous fens Plaški and Jarak in 2008. Additionally, ant fauna of adjacent habitats in different succession stages was also studied in the Jarak fen. A total of 715 specimens of 20 ant species were collected. Species richness, abundance and diversity were the highest at the Plaški fen, most likely due to the fen size and diversity of microhabitats. True tyrphobiontic species, such as Formica picea and F. uralensis were not recorded in the current study. Tyrphophilous species Myrmica scabrinodis was found only in the Plaški fen. Cluster analysis showed low degree of similarity between ant fen fauna, mainly due to the isolation, fen size, water table depth and vegetation composition. At Jarak fen the ant abundance was higher in succession stages compared to the fen site itself whereas species richness varied between the two succession stages. Furthermore, the highest number of species and individuals was recorded at transitional succession stage of common reed (Phragmites australis) and initial forest stages. Myrmica rubra and Lasius platythorax were the dominant species, both at fen and at succession stage dominated by Phragmites sp. Absence of other ant communities in the fen is most likely caused by lack of nesting sites due to specific vegetation composition and particularly high water table. Cluster analysis confirmed that ant fen communities were well separated from forest communities, with very few overlaps in terms of species composition. However, the degree of similarity between the ant fen community and communities established along the succession gradient was remarkably high. It appears that ant fauna of the paleorefugial habitat islands is impoverished and that these areas represent rather extreme environment for ants.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Biologija

POVEZANOST RADA