Oikos | VOL. 81
Read
Food Plants, Species Composition and Variability of the Moth Community in Undisturbed Forest
Abstract
The present study is based on a 14-yr time series of light trap data of moths (Lepidoptera) species in an undisturbed alder swamp forest in Central Europe. Vegetation change was followed on five pennanent plots. The biomass of all plant species in the portion of the forest surrounding the light trap was determined. As the feeding specificity of all the moth species was known, we were not only able to categorize moth species according to their potential feeding specificity, but were also able to estimate total food supply and its diversity in the studied ecosystem. In monophagous species, moth population size, characterized by mean annual catch, was positively correlated with food supply, whereas in oligo- and polyphagous species the correlation was close to zero. Although the ability of plant species to support a monophagous moth is positively dependent on its biomass, there are some relatively rare plant species supporting monophagous moths, and some common species not supporting monophagous moths. Directional changes were found both in plant and moth species; directional changes in moth species are more pronounced than changes in plant cover. There is no evidence suggesting that directional changes in moth population sizes are caused by the changes in food supply. Pronounced directional changes were found mainly in species not confined to the closed alder forest and are related to changes in wider areas, in some cases with known changes in species distribution. Non-directional year-to-year variability, described by Lloyd's...
Concepts
Moth Species Undisturbed Forest Plant Species Directional Changes Lloyd's Index Changes In Plant Cover Mean Annual Catch Forest In Central Europe Changes In Species Distribution Monophagous Species
Introducing Weekly Round-ups!Beta
Round-ups are the summaries of handpicked papers around trending topics published every week. These would enable you to scan through a collection of papers and decide if the paper is relevant to you before actually investing time into reading it.
Climate change Research Articles published between Jan 16, 2023 to Jan 22, 2023
Carbon capture and utilization (CCU) is an emerging technology with commercial potential to convert atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) into net zero or ...
Read MoreQuality Of Education Research Articles published between Jan 16, 2023 to Jan 22, 2023
Introduction: The Educational Scholar Program (ESP) is a creative method to focus on the quality of education and the scholarship of education. The ed...
Read MoreGender Equality Research Articles published between Jan 16, 2023 to Jan 22, 2023
This study deviates from the predominantly feminist/critical school of thought associated with existing gender studies to apply an interpretivist appr...
Read MoreDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on “as is” basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The Copyright Law.