Pitfall trapping within enclosures: a method for estimating the relationship between the abundances of coexisting carabid species (Coleoptera: Carabidae) |
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Authors: | Konjev Desender Jean-Pierre Maelfait |
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Institution: | Laboratorium voor Oecologie der Dieren, Zoögeografie en Natuurbehoud, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, B-9000 Gent, Belgium. |
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Abstract: | Pitfall trapping within enclosures is proposed as a method to get a reliable impression of the relationship between the abundances of a number of coexisting carabid species. The investigations were performed during two years in a heavily grazed pasture at Melle (Belgium). On a rather large scale soil samples could be compared with both enclosed and open pitfall catches. In all cases fenced pitfalls gave ratios between the catches of the different species showing a much better correlation with those from soil samples than the catch ratios from open pitfalls. This method seems especially suitable to compare the relative abundances of a number of carabid species in short term investigations during periods of peak activities. |
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