Arthropod Assemblages in Epiphyte Mats of Costa Rican Cloud Forests

Tropical cloud forests are functionally important ecosystems, but are severely threatened due to deforestation and fragmentation. Epiphyte mats, accumulations of live vegetation and dead organic matter on tree trunks and branches, are a conspicuous component of cloud forests and harbor diverse assemblages of meso- and microarthropods. We compared the morphospecies richness, composition, and abundance of arthropods in epiphyte mats between primary and secondary forests of Monteverde, Costa Rica, and at two nearby replicate sites. Epiphyte mats were thinner and less structurally diverse in secondary forest. We collected ca 36,000 micro- and mesoarthropods from epiphyte mats in the 2-yr study. Whereas arthropod morphospecies richness did not differ among forest types, arthropod abundance was significantly higher in secondary forest due to larger numbers of ants, especially Solenopsis spp. Arthropod assemblages showed a high degree of taxonomic overlap both within and between primary and secondary forests (Jaccard abundance-based similarity = 0.93–0.96). Although characteristics of the arthropod fauna proved to be similar among sites and between forest types, there was a significant temporal effect: arthropod morphospecies richness in epiphyte mats generally was lower in the dry season (February–May), when many taxa probably became dormant or sought shelter against desiccation in deeper portions of mats.     

热带次生林、旱稻种植地和火烧迹地土壤节肢动物群落结构特征及季节变化

通过模拟刀耕火种过程 ,对刀耕火种前后的次生林、旱稻地 (第 2年 )和火烧迹地 (火烧后直接撂荒地第 2年 )土壤节肢动物群落结构特征及季节变化进行了调查研究。结果显示 :3块样地土壤节肢动物群落的优势类群组成相同 ,均为蜱螨目、膜翅目和弹尾目 ,但不同生境样地中各优势类群所占群落总数的比例不同 ,并且 3样地常见和稀有类群的组成差异较大 ;土壤节肢动物类群数、个体数和 DG多样性指数表现为次生林高于其它 2块样地 ,而旱稻地和火烧迹地则无较大差异 ,但一些类群在旱稻地、火烧迹地的数量分布与次生林具有差异 ,且在土壤层的表现较为突出 ;3块样地土壤节肢动物群落具有较好相似性 ,其中旱稻地与火烧迹地达到极相似水平 (D、DS>0 .9)。3种不同类型生境土壤节肢动物群落在类群数、个体数和多样性指数的季节变化总体呈现出雨量少的干季或雨季初末期高于雨量最大的雨季中期 ,与当地降雨量和气温变化有密切关系 ,同时各样地土壤节肢动物群落因生境条件不同及人为活动干扰强弱而形成各自的季节消长特点。研究表明刀耕火种后的旱稻种植对土壤节肢动物群落的恢复和发展在一定限制条件 (面积、周围次生林和坡度 )下无破坏性影响 ,但植被改变、农事活动等对直接撂荒地和旱稻地土壤节肢动物群落的季节消长产生     

不同演替阶段热带森林地表凋落物和土壤节肢动物群落特征

为了解不同演替阶段热带森林土壤节肢动物群落结构特征及其与地表凋落物的关系, 2001年9月采用样线调查法对西双版纳23年次生林、35年次生林、季节雨林地表凋落物及其中的土壤节肢动物进行了调查。所获数据表明, 地表凋落物数量(现存量干重)和质量(N和C/N)总体上表现为35年次生林最好, 23年次生林次之; 蜱螨目和弹尾目为3林地地表凋落物土壤节肢动物群落优势类群, 膜翅目蚂蚁、马陆目、鞘翅目、双翅目和半翅目为常见类群。土壤节肢动物个体密度和个体相对密度均表现为35年次生林>季节雨林>23年次生林。群落的丰富度指数以季节雨林最高, 多样性和均匀度指数显示为23年次生林最高, 35年次生林的优势度指数最高, 3林地土壤节肢动物群落类群组成相似性达到较好水平。相关分析表明, 3种不同演替阶段热带森林土壤节肢动物个体密度与林地地表凋落物现存量呈正相关, 而现存凋落物N元素储量与土壤节肢动物的相关性仅表现在23年次生林和季节雨林。研究认为, 热带森林土壤节肢动物群落的发展与森林植被演替密切相关, 其群落个体数量和多样性受森林地表凋落物数量、质量的调控, 但其他环境因素如捕食效应、人为干扰等影响亦不可忽视。     

The seasonality of arboreal arthropods foraging within an Australian rainforest tree

Abstract.

• 1 The seasonality of arboreal arthropods foraging within the crown of the canopy tree Argyrodendron actinophyllum. Edlin (Sterculiaceae) was studied in a subtropical rain forest near Brisbane, Australia, during 2 years with interception traps and restricted canopy fogging.
• 2 Minimal air temperatures explained most of the seasonal variance in arthropod‘density activity'. However, the host phenology was important for several phytophagous groups. Rainfall, relative humidity and lunar phase influenced arthropod activity slightly.
• 3 Seasonal ranges were significantly different among arboreal guilds and were related to food resource availability in time, associated with both the host and the rainforest environment. Seasonal peaks of herbivores were more marked than in tropical rain forests, but less sharp than in temperate woodlands.'
• 4 Quantitative changes in arthropod density activity and abundance were important for most groups, with a marked trough during cool and dry months. The numerical contribution of most arthropod guilds to the arboreal community was not constant throughout the year.
• 5 Seasonal changes in the species composition of the arboreal community appeared not as a succession of well-defined subcommunities throughout the year, but as a continuum of species of extended seasonal ranges.
• 6 This subtropical insect-plant system presented several phenological features which were classified under tropical and temperate characteristics. This partition is open to discussion.

     

Drying of a temperate,intermittent river has little effect on adjacent riparian arthropod communities

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西双版纳不同演替状态热带次生林土壤节肢动物群落特征

采用样地调查法,对西双版纳4种不同演替状况热带次生林：中平树(Macavanga denticulate)、崖豆藤(Millettia laptobotrya)、野芭蕉(Musa acuminata)与黄竹(Dendrocalamus membranaceae)林的土壤节肢动物群落结构与季节变化进行了研究．结果表明,4类不同演替状况次生林土壤节肢动物群落在数量优势类群组成上无较大差异,蜱螨目为所有4类林地的突出优势类群,膜翅目、弹尾目和鞘翅目在不同林地中分别为不同数量等级的次优势类群,而在常见和稀有类群的组成上,各林地表现出较大的差异．土壤节肢动物类群数、个体数和DG多样性指数以正向演替的崖豆藤林最高,偏途演替的黄竹林最低,但中平树、崖豆藤和野芭蕉林的差异不大．4类林地土壤节肢动物类群数和个体数的垂直分布分别以凋落物层和土壤表层(0～5cm)最高,其它各层分布因林地不同各异,并存在明显的季节差异．各林地土壤节肢动物个体数和类群数的季节消长总体表现出干季和雨季初期与末期高于雨量最大的雨季中期,由于不同林地植被结构、凋落物数量和质量以及土壤水热状况不同,其季节变化显现样地差异,除了受林地降水量和温度变化影响外,食物的丰欠和栖息场所的干扰状况也有重要的影响作用．     

Agroecological transition increases arthropod diversity and decreases herbivore abundance on field margins

1. In peri-urban areas, many farmers are transitioning from conventional agriculture to agroecological practices to reduce pesticide input and preserving ecosystem services such as natural pest control. Field margins represent a stable habitat for arthropods, but community structure depends on many factors, including management type and vegetation features.
2. We studied the effects of agroecological transitions and vegetation features on arthropods of horticultural field margins, focusing on three feeding guilds (herbivores, predators and parasitoids). We sampled arthropods using the beat-sheet method in five conventional fields and five under agroecological transition. We also measured vegetation height, richness, flower abundance and plant cover.
3. Our results showed that arthropod diversity was higher in agroecological fields whereas herbivore abundance was lower, with a consistent pattern across most taxonomic orders. Vegetation features displayed multiple effects among functional and taxonomic groups. Herbivores did not respond to most vegetation variables whereas predators correlated with several, with similar trends among orders.
4. We conclude that agroecological transitions and field margins with high vegetation richness and floral resources influence arthropod communities with potential benefits regarding pest regulation. These practices might be more effective if considered alongside other methods that enhance biodiversity and if they are consistent at a landscape scale.

     

Leaf litter arthropod responses to tropical forest restoration

Soil and litter arthropods represent a large proportion of tropical biodiversity and perform important ecosystem functions, but little is known about the efficacy of different tropical forest restoration strategies in facilitating their recovery in degraded habitats. We sampled arthropods in four 7‐ to 8‐year‐old restoration treatments and in nearby reference forests. Sampling was conducted during the wet and dry seasons using extractions from litter and pitfall samples. Restoration treatments were replicated in 50 × 50‐m plots in four former pasture sites in southern Costa Rica: plantation – trees planted throughout the plot; applied nucleation/islands – trees planted in patches of different sizes; and natural regeneration – no tree planting. Arthropod abundance, measures of richness and diversity, and a number of functional groups were greater in the island treatment than in natural regeneration or plantation treatments and, in many cases, were similar to reference forest. Litter and pitfall morphospecies and functional group composition in all three restoration treatments were significantly different than reference sites, but island and plantation treatments showed more recovery than natural regeneration. Abundance and functional group diversity showed a much greater degree of recovery than community composition. Synthesis and applications: The less resource‐intensive restoration strategy of planting tree islands was more effective than tree plantations in restoring arthropod abundance, richness, and functional diversity. None of the restoration strategies, however, resulted in similar community composition as reference forest after 8 years of recovery, highlighting the slow rate of recovery of arthropod communities after disturbance, and underscoring the importance of conservation of remnant forests in fragmented landscapes.     

Effects of weed harrowing frequency on beneficial arthropods,plants and crop yield

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Effects of Season and Successional Stage on Leaf Area Index and Spectral Vegetation Indices in Three Mesoamerican Tropical Dry Forests1

We compared plant area index (PAI) and canopy openness for different successional stages in three tropical dry forest sites: Chamela, Mexico; Santa Rosa, Costa Rica; and Palo Verde, Costa Rica, in the wet and dry seasons. We also compared leaf area index (LAI) for the Costa Rican sites during the wet and dry seasons. In addition, we examined differences in canopy structure to ascertain the most influential factors on PAI/LAI. Subsequently, we explored relationships between spectral vegetation indices derived from Landsat 7 ETM+ satellite imagery and PAI/LAI to create maps of PAI/LAI for the wet season for the three sites. Specific forest structure characteristics with the greatest influence on PAI/LAI varied among the sites and were linked to climatic differences. The differences in PAI/LAI and canopy openness among the sites were explained by both the past land‐use history and forest management practices. For all sites, the best‐fit regression model between the spectral vegetation indices and PAI/LAI was a Lorentzian Cumulative Function. Overall, this study aimed to further research linkages between PAI/LAI and remotely sensed data while exploring unique challenges posed by this ecosystem.     

Grass abundance maintains positive plant–arthropod diversity relationships in maize fields and margins in South Africa

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Arthropods in epiphytes: a diversity component that is not effectively sampled by canopy fogging

Insecticide fogging is often used to document arthropod species richnessin forest canopies, but this technique may not effectively sample invertebratesthat are concealed within a variety of microhabitats. We quantified the effectsof fogging on invertebrates in canopy epiphyte mats of a Costa Rican cloudforest by extracting arthropods from 18 paired pre- and post-fogging samples.Mean abundance and morphospecies richness of living arthropods were respectivelyreduced by 33 and 30% in epiphyte material after fogging, but most organismssurvived the treatment. Relative abundances of major taxa were unaffected byfogging. Herbivores were less abundant after fogging than other trophic groups,and the median body length of non-mite arthropods present in epiphytes wassignificantly smaller after fogging. Examination of seven post-fogging samplesshowed that many arthropods killed by insecticide remained trapped within theepiphyte material. These results provide the first quantitative assessment of aspecific component of arboreal arthropod biodiversity that is missed by thefogging technique.     

Resting environments of some Costa Rican mosquitoes

The resting sites of tropical American mosquitoes are poorly documented, and the few reports that do exist are largely from opportunistic collections. Since blood‐engorged females (used in determining host associations) are more efficiently collected from resting sites than attractive traps, information on resting site utilization has practical value. To investigate differences in the resting sites utilized by tropical mosquitoes, we collected and identified female mosquitoes from one man‐made (resting shelter) and three natural (buttress tree roots, hollow trees, and understory vegetation) resting environments at a tropical dry forest location in western Costa Rica. All of the most common species collected demonstrated associations with one or more resting environments. Females of five species (blood‐engorged Anopheles albimanus, Uranotaenia apicalis, Uranotaenia lowii, Uranotaenia orthodoxa, and blood‐engorged Mansonia titillans) were collected in significantly greater numbers from understory vegetation than other resting environments. Culex erraticus and other members of the subgenus Melanoconion were encountered more often in resting shelters, hollow trees, and buttress roots, while Culex restrictor (blood‐engorged) females were associated with hollow trees. Similarity indices indicate that buttress tree roots, hollow trees, and resting shelters are similar with respect to the mosquito communities that utilize them as resting sites, while understory vegetation has a resting fauna that is different than the other environments surveyed here. These results add to the body of information regarding resting sites utilized by tropical American mosquitoes.     

A new inexpensive suction apparatus for sampling arthropods in grassland

Abstract.

• 1 We describe a new technique for sampling arthropods from grassland and other vegetation, using a modified petrol-driven suction apparatus called a‘Blow & Vac’.
• 2 The new apparatus was tested by comparing its efficiency in extracting arthropods from vegetation with that of a conventional Dietrick, or‘D-Vac’, suction sampler.
• 3 Unimpeded air velocity inside the suction tube was approximately 4 times that of the D-Vac.
• 4 In field trials on semi-natural grasslands, the Blow & Vac caught more individuals of most spider and certain beetle species compared to the D-Vac and approximately equal numbers of Auchenorrhyncha.
• 5 We conclude that the‘Blow & Vac’has considerable potential for sampling arthropod populations. Its low cost and weight make it a suitable alternative to the conventional D-Vac apparatus.

     

Large variation of suction sampling efficiency depending on arthropod groups,species traits,and habitat properties

Suction sampling is widely used to estimate arthropod abundance and diversity. To test the reliability of abundance data derived from suction sampling, we examined sampling efficiency across a wide range of arthropod groups and tested for effects of species traits, vegetation density, and differences between sites. Suction sampling efficiency was quantified by vacuuming an enclosed meadow area and subsequent removal of the turf, which was treated with heat extraction to collect the remaining arthropods. We obtained 250 pairs of suction and turf samples from seven grasslands with variable vegetation density. High suction sampling efficiencies between 49 and 86% were obtained for Auchenorrhyncha, Heteroptera, Araneida, Curculionoidea, Hymenoptera, and Diptera. In contrast, efficiencies were below 30% for Aphidae, Thysanoptera, Staphylinidae and other Coleoptera, and for soil arthropods such as Collembola, Isopoda, Diplopoda, and Formicidae. Efficiency varied significantly among habitats (sites) for most groups, often more than two‐fold. Surprisingly, sampling efficiency for Hymenoptera, Diplopoda, and Collembola increased with vegetation density, probably because aboveground activity of these taxa was higher in dense vegetation. Suction sampling was nearly twice as efficient for spiders living in the vegetation than for spiders living near the soil surface, and cursorial and large‐bodied spider species were more efficiently sampled than web‐builders and small species. Depending on the sampling effort, suction sampling missed between 49% (one sample) and 31% (250 samples) of the spider species present. Suction sampling efficiency varied more strongly among sites and among arthropod groups than previously recognized. Abundance data derived from suction sampling are strongly underestimated, especially for arthropods living near the soil surface. Thus, comparisons of abundance and diversity between sites should be restricted to vegetation‐dwelling species of the most efficiently sampled groups. The positive relationship of sampling efficiency with vegetation density demonstrates that variation in efficiency is mediated by arthropod behaviour.     

Community structure of canopy arthropods associated to Quercus crassifolia×Quercus crassipes complex

Quercus crassifolia and Q. crassipes are dominant species in temperate forests of central Mexico and hybridize between each other when they occur in sympatry. Oak canopies contain a considerable portion of arthropod diversity and the hybrid zones can provide new habitats to epiphyte fauna. We tested if the establishment of hybrids in contact zones with their parental hosts increases the species diversity of canopy arthropods assuming that hybrid trees constitute new genotypes of potential new habitats to small organisms. We examined the effect of hybridization on some community structure parameters (diversity, composition, similarity and density of arthropod fauna) of canopy arthropods compared to their parental species in a hybrid zone located in central Mexico. We employed 17 leaf morphological traits and six diagnostic RAPD primers to identify parental and hybrid plants. The RAPDs marker showed unidirectional introgression towards Q. crassifolia, and were detected hybrid (F₁), backcrosses and introgression individual trees. In total, 30 oak canopies were fogged during rainy and dry season. We recognized 532 taxa of arthropods belonging to 22 orders associated with tree canopies. The taxonomic status of host‐trees may be an important factor in the arthropod community structure and that seasonality (dry and rainy) is not a factor that could modify their organization. Trees of Q. crassipes registered the highest densities of arthropod fauna followed by hybrid hosts (F₁); trees originated by backcrosses towards Q. crassifolia registered a significant less arthropod density than F₁ hybrids; and trees of Q. crassifolia had the lowest density. Hybrid plants and Q. crassipes individuals had higher diversity (H′) of arthropods than Q. crassifolia plants. Hybrid plants had also more rare species in both seasons in comparison with parental species. This study suggests that hybrid oaks act as a center of biodiversity by accumulating arthropods of both parental and different species including a considerable number of rare species.     

Dynamics of the Leaf-Litter Arthropod Fauna Following Fire in a Neotropical Woodland Savanna

Fire is an important agent of disturbance in tropical savannas, but relatively few studies have analyzed how soil-and-litter dwelling arthropods respond to fire disturbance despite the critical role these organisms play in nutrient cycling and other biogeochemical processes. Following the incursion of a fire into a woodland savanna ecological reserve in Central Brazil, we monitored the dynamics of litter-arthropod populations for nearly two years in one burned and one unburned area of the reserve. We also performed a reciprocal transplant experiment to determine the effects of fire and litter type on the dynamics of litter colonization by arthropods. Overall arthropod abundance, the abundance of individual taxa, the richness of taxonomic groups, and the species richness of individual taxa (Formiciade) were lower in the burned site. However, both the ordinal-level composition of the litter arthropod fauna and the species-level composition of the litter ant fauna were not dramatically different in the burned and unburned sites. There is evidence that seasonality of rainfall interacts with fire, as differences in arthropod abundance and diversity were more pronounced in the dry than in the wet season. For many taxa the differences in abundance between burned and unburned sites were maintained even when controlling for litter availability and quality. In contrast, differences in abundance for Collembola, Formicidae, and Thysanoptera were only detected in the unmanipulated samples, which had a lower amount of litter in the burned than in the unburned site throughout most of our study period. Together these results suggest that arthropod density declines in fire-disturbed areas as a result of direct mortality, diminished resources (i.e., reduced litter cover) and less favorable microclimate (i.e., increased litter desiccation due to reduction in tree cover). Although these effects were transitory, there is evidence that the increasingly prevalent fire return interval of only 1–2 years may jeopardize the long-term conservation of litter arthropod communities.     

Comparative patterns in taxonomic and functional spider diversities between tropical vs. temperate forests

High diversity in tropical compared to temperate regions has long intrigued ecologists, especially for highly speciose taxa like terrestrial arthropods in tropical rainforests. Previous studies showed that arthropod herbivores account for much tropical diversity, yet differences in the diversity of predatory arthropods between tropical and temperate systems have not been properly quantified. Here, we present the first standardized tropical–temperate forest quantification of spider diversities, a dominant and mega‐diverse taxon of generalist predators. Spider assemblages were collected using a spatially replicated protocol including two standardized sampling methods (vegetation sweep netting and beating). Fieldwork took place between 2010 and 2015 in metropolitan (Brittany) and overseas (French Guiana) French territories. We found no significant difference in functional diversity based on hunting guilds between temperate and tropical forests, while species richness was 13–82 times higher in tropical versus temperate forests. Evenness was also higher, with tropical assemblages up to 55 times more even than assemblages in temperate forests. These differences in diversity far surpass previous estimates and exceed tropical–temperate ratios for herbivorous taxa.     

Effect of prey availability on the abundance of White‐breasted Wood‐Wrens,insectivorous birds of tropical lowland forests

Some understory insectivorous birds manage to persist in tropical forest fragments despite significant habitat loss and forest fragmentation. Their persistence has been related to arthropod biomass. In addition, forest structure has been used as a proxy to estimate prey availability for understory birds and for calculating prey abundance. We used arthropod biomass and forest structural variables (leaf area index [LAI] and aerial leaf litter biomass) to explain the abundance of White‐breasted Wood‐Wrens (Henicorhina leucosticta), tropical understory insectivorous birds, in six forests in the Caribbean lowlands of Costa Rica. To estimate bird abundance, we performed point counts (100‐m radius) in two old‐growth forests, two second‐growth forests, and two selectively logged forests. Arthropod abundance was the best predictor of wood‐wren abundance (wi = 0.75). Wood‐wren abundance increased as the number of arthropods increased, and the estimated range of bird abundance obtained from the model varied from 0.51 (0.28 – 0.93 [95%CI]) to 3.70 (1.68 – 5.20 [95%CI]) within sites. LAI was positively correlated to prey abundance (P = 0.01), and explained part of the variation in wood‐wren abundance. In forests with high LAI, arthropods have more aerial leaf litter as potential habitat so more potential prey are available for wood‐wrens. Forests with a greater abundance of aerial leaf litter arthropods were more likely to sustain higher densities of wood‐wrens in a fragmented tropical landscape.     

Habitat functionality for the ecosystem service of pest control: reproduction and feeding sites of pests and natural enemies

• 1 Landscape management for enhanced natural pest control requires knowledge of the ecological function of the habitats present in the landscape mosaic. However, little is known about which habitat types in agricultural landscapes function as reproduction habitats for arthropod pests and predators during different times of the year.
• 2 We studied the arthropod assemblage on six crops and on the seven most abundant native plant species in two landscapes over 1 year in Australia. Densities of immature and adult stages of pests and their predators were assessed using beat sheet sampling.
• 3 The native plants supported a significantly different arthropod assemblage than crops. Native plants had higher predator densities than crops over the course of the year, whereas crops supported higher pest densities than the native plants in two out of four seasonal sampling periods. Crops had higher densities of immature stages of pests than native plants in three of four seasonal sampling periods, implying that crops are more strongly associated with pest reproduction than native plants. Densities of immature predators, excluding spiders, were not different between native plants and crops. Spiders were, however, generally abundant and densities were higher on native plants than on crops but, because some species disperse when immature, there is less certainty in identifying their reproduction habitat.
• 4 Because the predator to pest ratio on native plant species showed little variation, and spatial variation in arthropod assemblages was limited, the predator support function of native vegetation may be a general phenomenon. Incentives that maintain and restore native remnant vegetation can increase the predator to pest ratio at the landscape scale, which could enhance pest suppression in crops.