Ground Beetle (Coleoptera, Carabidae) Communities of the Exhausted Open-Cast Mining Area K™nigsaue and of Agricultural Areas in the District Aschersleben-staβfurt (Saxony-Anhalt)

Abstract

In the years 1995 to 1997, following recultivation activities, investigations refering to the colonisation by ground beetles were lead through at four sites in the open-cast mining area Königsaue by means of pitfall traps. Altogether 74 species could be proved, 19% of these species are considered as endangered. The occurrence of the tiger beetle Cicindela arenaria viennensis is remarkable for nature conservation reasons, because this species is threaten by extinction in Germany. The most frequent species in the exhausted open-cast mining area were Calathus ambiguus and Bembidion femoratum . On a site nearly without any vegetation Amara fulva belonged to the dominant species. Species- and dominance-identities between the ground beetle communities of the four sites were low. Also the species turnover between the years of investgation was relatively high. A Benjes-hedge, which was planted in 1996, was investigated additionally. Pitfall trap catches within stands of various crops (winter wheat, summer wheat, maize, peas, sugar beet) nearby the open-cast mining area were carried out in 1995 to 1997 as well. The fields were treated conventionally on tschernosem soils and peaty soils. 67 species of ground beetles were registrated in the fields. The results with regard to species composition and dominance structure resembled those which had been obtained in former investigations lead through near Halle (Saale) and Obhausen (Querfurter Platte). On the peaty soils Dyschirius globosus was very numerous, whereas it was not found on the other fields. An extremly high activity density of ground beetles with more than 20 individuals per day and pitfall trap could be observed in a sugar beet field near Schadeleben. Additional investigations on field edges at another site were realized in 1996. As a whole in the cause of this research 101 species of ground beetles could be proved in the district Aschersleben-Staáfurt, among these many endangered species.