The aim of the research was to determine the rate of the damage of xylophagous insects for silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.) stands in the Left Bank Forest-steppe of Ukraine. Evaluation of physiological harmfulness considered a health condition of inhabited trees, features of maturating feeding and pathogens vectoring for the cases of so-called ‘provoked aggressiveness’ and its absence. Evaluation of technical harmfulness considered a location and depth of larval galleries and pupal chambers, colonized sapwood surface, and stem part. Evaluation of general harmfulness considered physiological harmfulness, technical harmfulness and generation number. Among 22 xylophagous insect species, 4 species were widespread (Agrilus viridis (Linnaeus, 1758), Xylotrechus rusticus (Linnaeus, 1758), Xyleborinus saxeseni (Ratzeburg, 1837), and Xyleborinus attenuatus (Blandford, 1894)); 3 species were common, 6 species were rare and 9 species were single. The highest physiological harmfulness is expected for Tremex fuscicornis (Fabricius, 1787) and Tremex magus (Fabricius, 1787), Сhrysobothris affinis (Fabricius, 1774), Agrilus viridis (Linnaeus, 1758), Xylotrechus rusticus, and bark beetles. The highest technical harmfulness is expected for wood wasps – Tremex spp., jewel beetles Dicerca furcata (Thunberg, 1787) and Dicerca alni (Fischer von Waldheim, 1824), longhorn beetle Xylotrechus rusticus, and xylomycetophages – Xyleborinus sp. All widespread species are evaluated by a wide range of physiological harmfulness. Three of them (all except Agrilus viridis) are evaluated by highly technical harmfulness and from moderate to highly general harmfulness. Among the species having a common occurrence, Tremex fuscicornis can be highly harmful only in the case of tree weakening by negative factors, another two species can be non-harmful, and Xiphydria longicollis (Geoffroy, 1785) can be low harmful in the case of tree weakening by negative factors. Among the rare species, Scolytus ratzeburgi Janson, 1856 can be low or moderately harmful and Tremex magus can be low or highly harmful depending on the presence or absence of other negative factors. Among single species, Zeuzera pyrina (Linnaeus, 1761) can be moderately harmful because it colonizes almost healthy trees. The rest three species can be moderately harmful in the case of tree weakening by negative factors.
The purpose of the research was to assess the species composition and biodiversity indices for xylophagous beetles collected by window traps in the parts of Gomilshanski lisy National Nature Park with different management regimes and anthropogenic load. Four window traps were placed in each of the five groups of sample plots: clear felling, selective felling, stationary recreation, regulated recreation and protected zone. The data were analysed using the statistical software package PAST, particularly, the Menhinick index (DMn) and dominance index (D) were evaluated and classical clustering (unweighted pair-group average [UPGMA]) was performed. A total of 42 species of xylophages (9903 individuals) were collected from Curculionidae (Scolytinae and Cossoninae), Cerambycidae, Histeridae, Bostrichidae, Buprestidae and Lymexilidae. The highest species richness was in the plots of clear and selective felling (25 and 22 species, respectively) and the lowest was in the protected zone (16 species), regulated recreation (19 species) and stationary recreation (22 species). The Menhinick index (DMn) was the lowest in the protected zone (0.27), increased in the zone of regulated recreation (0.43) and stationary recreation (0.45) and was maximal in the plots of selective and clear felling (0.69 and 0.77, respectively). The number of individuals was maximal in the protected zone and minimal at the plots of selective and clear felling. All sites were dominated by Xyleborinus saxesenii (Ratzeburg, 1837) (66–85% individuals) and Anisandrus dispar (Fabricius, 1792) (8.5–20.7% individuals). Minimal dominance (0.49) was found in the plot of clear felling. Cluster analysis showed similarity of the xylophage complex in the plots of clear and selective felling, as well as in the zone of stationary and regulated recreation, which differed from the protected zone.
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