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Diversity
Special Issues
Vertical Distribution of Animals in Forest Ecosystems
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Vertical Distribution of Animals in Forest Ecosystems

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Diversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2022) | Viewed by 6225

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Alexander B. Ruchin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Joint Directorate of the Mordovia State Nature Reserve and National Park “Smolny”, 30 Krasnaya str., Saransk, 430005 Republic of Mordovia, Russia
Interests: biodiversity; biodiversity hotspots; global biodiversity database; invasive alien; Insecta; Teleostei (freshwater fishes); Amphibia; Reptilia
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Forest ecosystems are three-dimensional ecosystems where all organisms are distributed, not only along horizontal ecological gradients, but also along the vertical gradient between the forest floor and the tree crowns. For example, many studies have been conducted on the vertical stratification of different orders of insects in tropical forests. They identified certain patterns in their preferences. Many factors acting at the same time effect these patterns. Over the past three decades, scientists have conducted extensive research on the forest canopy. This is a complex world of plants, insects, birds, and mammals in which their interactions have certain rules. However, our knowledge of the vertical stratification of different animals in forests is still poorly understood. This especially applies to temperate forests, where vertical distribution has not yet been sufficiently studied. Many such ecosystems are preserved intact and represent hotspots of insects, birds, and mammals biodiversity. Topics for this Special Issue can include a wide variety of aspects of the biology of individual species and the biodiversity of animals at all levels of the forest ecosystem, except for soil and litter—from undergrowth to canopy. Articles that use new or original methods for studying the vertical distribution of insects in forest ecosystems are especially needed. In addition, articles describing the associative relationships between insects and other groups of animals in the forest canopy are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Alexander B. Ruchin
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • vertical distribution
  • vertical stratification
  • forest ecosystems
  • experiments
  • biodiversity
  • biodiversity hotspots
  • associations between beetles and other insects
  • Coleoptera

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 2327 KiB  
Article
Vertical Distribution of Beetles (Coleoptera) in Pine Forests in Central European Russia
by Alexander B. Ruchin, Leonid V. Egorov and Anatoliy A. Khapugin
Diversity 2022, 14(8), 622; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14080622 - 3 Aug 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2177
Abstract
Research on the Arthropoda distribution in temperate forest ecosystems has shown that communities are distributed vertically in unequal numbers. However, this issue still has research gaps in relation to the vertical stratification of Coleoptera in pine forests of the temperate zone. This study [...] Read more.
Research on the Arthropoda distribution in temperate forest ecosystems has shown that communities are distributed vertically in unequal numbers. However, this issue still has research gaps in relation to the vertical stratification of Coleoptera in pine forests of the temperate zone. This study was conducted in the Republic of Mordovia situated in central part of European Russia. We used fermental traps to collect Coleoptera (the bait is fermenting beer with sugar and honey). The sampling was conducted from May to September 2021 in five sites of pine forests. One hundred and twenty-five species from 36 families were identified. The highest species richness was found in Nitidulidae and Cerambycidae (19 species each), Elateridae (13), Curculionidae (7) and Scarabaeidae (6). The highest number of species (84 species) was obtained at the height of 1.5 m, while the smallest species richness (44 species) was found at the height of 12.0 m. At the height of 12 m, we also registered the minimum number of specimens. Twenty-four species from 11 families were common to all the heights studied. Cryptarcha strigata and Glischrochilus grandis preferred heights of 3 and 1.5 m. Cryptarcha undata and Protaetia marmorata were more common at a height of 7 m with a frequency of 61.4–79.6% and 68.2–79.6%, respectively. The absolute number of saproxyl and anthophilic beetle species was higher in the ground layer and at the undergrowth level. These studies expand our understanding of the vertical distribution of beetles in pine forests of the temperate zone of European Russia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vertical Distribution of Animals in Forest Ecosystems)
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19 pages, 2832 KiB  
Article
Vertical Stratification of Beetles in Deciduous Forest Communities in the Centre of European Russia
by Alexander B. Ruchin and Leonid V. Egorov
Diversity 2021, 13(11), 508; https://doi.org/10.3390/d13110508 - 20 Oct 2021
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 2877
Abstract
Studies on the vertical distribution of arthropods in temperate forests have revealed the uneven vertical distribution of communities. Many factors influence these patterns simultaneously. However, there are still many questions related to the vertical distribution of Coleoptera in deciduous forests of the temperate [...] Read more.
Studies on the vertical distribution of arthropods in temperate forests have revealed the uneven vertical distribution of communities. Many factors influence these patterns simultaneously. However, there are still many questions related to the vertical distribution of Coleoptera in deciduous forests of the temperate zone. The research was carried out within the territory of the Republic of Mordovia (the center of the European part of Russia). Fermental traps with a bait made of fermenting beer with sugar were used to collect Coleoptera. The collections were carried out from May to September 2020 at five sites in a deciduous forest. We set traps at a height of 1.5, 3.5, 7.5 and 12 m above the ground) on the branches of trees. Ninety-two species were identified at the end of studies at different heights. The families Nitidulidae (15 species), Cerambycidae (14 species), Elateridae (7 species), Curculionidae (7 species) and Scarabaeidae (7 species) had the greatest species diversity. The greatest species diversity was recorded at a height of 1.5 m, while the smallest one was recorded at a height of 7.5 m. The minimum number of specimens was recorded at a height of 12 m. The largest differences in the Jaccard similarity index were obtained between samples from a height of 1.5 and 12 m. The Shannon’s diversity index was higher near the ground than in the tree crowns (at heights of 7.5 and 12 m), and the Simpson index had the opposite tendency. Glischrochilus hortensis and to a lesser extent Cychramus luteus preferred to live in the lowest layers of deciduous forest (1.5 m). Cryptarcha strigata was mainly found with relatively high numbers at heights of 3.5 m and 7.5 m. The abundance and occurrence of Protaetia marmorata and Quedius dilatatus were higher in the uppermost layers of the crowns. The number of saproxylic beetle species at heights of 3.5–12 m was almost the same, while in the surface layer it decreased. The number of anthophilic beetle species was also lower at a low altitude. Our data confirm the relevance of sampling in forest ecosystems at different altitudes while studying arthropod biodiversity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vertical Distribution of Animals in Forest Ecosystems)
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