Composition of psocid taxocenoses (Insecta: Psocoptera) in Fageti-Piceeta s. lat. and Piceeta s. lat. forests in the Western Carpathian Mts.

Abstract

Psocid taxocenoses (<I>Psocoptera</I>) were studied in forest ecosystems of the Western Carpathian Mts. during 1997–2001. As a study frame were used altitudinal vegetation zones (according to PLÍVA 1971, 1991). Lower units of forest typological system (forest type complexes) were used for a classification of ecological conditions as well. Within this work can be the term “mountain spruce forest” understood as following communities of altitudinal vegetation zones (AVZ): the 7<sup>th</sup> – <I>Fageti-Piceeta</I> s. lat. and the 8<sup>th</sup> – <I>Piceeta</I>s. lat. These AVZ occur in the study area in the Moravskoslezské Beskydy Mts. in the Czech Republic and the Oravské Beskydy Mts. in the Slovakia 2,461 adults comprising 16 species were found in total: 12 species (eudominant species <I>Caecilius despaxi, Mesopsocus unipunctatus</I>, dominant species <I>Stenopsocus lachlani, Amphigerontia bifasciata</I>and <I>Caecilius burmeisteri</I> were found in the 7<sup>th</sup> AVZ and an equal number of species was found in the 8<sup>th</sup> AVZ (eudominant species <I>Caecilius despaxi, Stenopsocus lachlani</I>). Taxocenoses of psocids were evaluated by Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) and Divisive Cluster Analysis (DvClA). Material was compared with other material gained from various altitudinal vegetation zones in the Outer Western Carpathians Mts. Characteristic species composition of psocids in the 7 <sup>th</sup> and 8<sup>th</sup> altitudinal vegetation zones were designated: the 7<sup>th</sup> AVZ – <I>Caecilius despaxi – Amphigerontia bifasciata – Mesopsocus unipunctatus – Stenopsocus lachlani</I>, the 8<sup>th</sup> AVZ is identical but with different species dominance.