The effects of non-native plantations on grounddwelling spider (Araneae) and rove beetle (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) assemblages
Abstract
Ground-dwelling rove beetles and spiders were studied in three non-native plantations (Robinia pseudoacacia, Pinus sylvestris and Quercus rubra) established after clear-cutting of native forest stands, and native oak forest stands (Quercus robur) in the Nagyerdő Forest Reserve, Debrecen (Hungary). Samples were collected by leaf litter sifting, with five litter sampling locations at each stand. Overall, 40 litter samples (4 habitat types x 2 replicates x 5 samples) were collected. The total number of rove beetle individuals and species and the number of substrate- dependent rove beetle individuals and species were significantly lower in the non-native plantations compared to that of native oak forest stands. The species richness of spiders was lowest in the red oak plantations, while their abundance was the highest in the black locust plantations. The number of individuals and species of forest specialist spiders were higher in the native oak forest stands than in the red oak plantations. There were no significant differences between the number of open-habitat spider species of non-native plantations and that of native oak forest stands. The abundance of open-habitat spiders was the highest in the black locust plantations. The spider and rove beetle assemblages of native oak forest stands differed from assemblages in non-native plantations. During the establishment of non-native plantations, the habitat heterogeneity characteristic of the native oak forest stands was eliminated, which threatened the maintenance of specialist species in both groups.
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