Composition and diversity of psocid (Insecta: Psocoptera) taxocoenoses in forest ecosystems of the Abieti-fageta s. lat. zone in the Western Carpathian Mts.

Abstract

Psocid (Psocoptera) taxocoenoses were studied in forest ecosystems of the Western Carpathian Mts. in 1997–2001. As a study frame, vegetation tiers (VT = altitudinal vegetation zones) of geobiocoenological or forest-typological system were used. Lower units of forest typological system (forest type complexes) were used for the classification of ecological conditions and the material found in forest ecosystems of <I>Abieti-fageta</I> s. lat. communities (5<sup>th</sup> fir-beech VT) was evaluated in detail. This VT is the most widespread in the regions under study (the Moravskoslezské Beskydy Mts., the Vsetínské vrchy Hills and Javorníky). 2,023 adults comprising 28 species were found in the 5<sup>th</sup> VT. <I>Caecilius burmeisteri</I> was found as eudominant species; <I>Philotarsus picicornis, Caecilius flavidus</I> and <I>Peripsocus subfasciatus</I> were found as dominant species. In natural geobiocoenoses with the level of naturalness 1 or 2, the following species were found: <I>Mesopsocus unipunctatus, Caecilius flavidus</I>, and <I>Caecilius burmeisteri</I> as eudominant and <I>Caecilius despaxi</I> as dominant. Taxocoenoses of psocids were evaluated by Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) and Divisive Cluster Analysis (DvClA). The axes were interpreted in DCA-analysis as follows: the <I>x</I>-axis denotes the influence of VTs and the <I>q</I>-axis refers to the influence of hydricity. This material was compared with other material obtained from various vegetation tiers in the Western Carpathians Mts. The characteristic species composition of psocids in the 5<sup>th</sup> VT was as follows: <I>Caecilius flavidus – C. burmeisteri – C. despaxi – Metylophorus nebulosus – Philotarsus picicornis</I>.