Four biotops with arboreal vegetation situated in the Irkutsk town territory were studied by pitfall traps method: artifitially forrestated park zone, coastal band of willow shrubs, Caragana arborescens shrubs on steep slope of southern exposition, group of bird-cherry trees. Biodiversity of high taxonomical groups, and the same on species level for carabid beetles, were estimated. Carabid’s communities were compared on dominant species, biodiversity and dynamic density of populations. Sörensen – Chekanovsky coefficient for comparison of different biotopes in number of species and specimens was used. In the willow shrubs minimal number of high groups of arthropods were collected, but maximal biodiversity and dynamic density of carabids populations was postulated. It depends first of all the high number of small species Trechus secalis. Biodiversity is increased in the row: park zone (14) – bird-cherry trees (21) – caragana shrubs (24 groups). Set of the high taxonomical groups in the different biotopes has a specific features. Such taxa like carabids, staphylinids, silphids, ants and spiders were recorded in all biotopes, but could differ each other in the set of species and dynamic density very sufficiently. Sörensen coefficient estimated for carabids communities demonstrates very low similarity between biotopes as in set of species, as in number of specimens. Caragana shrubs has a maximal level of isolation. The simplest structure of community with very low number of species in park zone was postulated. In this biotopes silphid beetles was dominated group due to maximal level of anthropogenic influence. Refugial zones, like Kaya river basin in the town landscape surroundings, could be preserved for recreation and biodiversity maintenance.
Two new species of Lesteva Latreille, 1797 are described from South Siberia: L. dabanensis Shavrin, Shilenkov & Anistschenko, sp. n. from the Khamar-Daban and L. barguzinica Shavrin, Shilenkov & Anistschenko, sp. n. from the Barguzin mountain ranges. Habitus, mouthparts and genitalia are illustrated. New collecting records are provided for L. brathinoides Zerche, 2000 and L. sajanensis Zerche, 2000. A key to Lesteva species known from South Siberia is provided.
Olkhon region in East Siberia has abundant and unique vegetation and animal resource for its peculiar geographic location, including ants. Ant, recognized as ecosystem engineers, has an important role in ecosystem. In order to investigate the ecological role of mound-building ants in this region, we focused our attention on the correlation between the distribution of ant mounds and plant species. Five quadrats (5 m × 5 m) were set up in this region, each of which was then divided into twenty-five quadrats (1 m × 1 m). We collected the location of every Black Bog Ant (Formica candida) mound, the number and biomass of various plants in every small quadrat. Using matrices, we tested the distribution pattern of ant mound randomly. The correlation between plants and ant mound pattern was tested by correlation analysis and regression analysis. The result showed that the spatial distribution of ant mound was random. We also found that Artemisia frigida, Carexduriuscula and Oxytropis sylvesfris had a significant linear relationship with the spatial distribution of ant mound (P < 0.05), suggesting that the spatial distribution of ant mound was dependent on the spatial distribution of some plants. The underlying mechanism was further studied. We attributed this correlation to the feeding habits and foraging strategies of Black Bog Ant and tissue structure of these three plants. Our study figured out the interaction between Black Bog Ant and plant resource in Olkhon region, laying down the foundation for future study on the co-evolution of plant and animal resource in this unique ecosystem.
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