Abstract
Zelkova abelicea is an endemic tree species growing in several localities in the mountainous regions of Crete, Greece. To date, the microarthropod species associated with this tree species have not been identified. Since Z. abelicea populations are isolated and fragmented, it was hypothesized that the characteristics of microarthropod assemblages, particularly in the case of springtails (Collembola), would vary and differ among localities. Moreover, rare microarthropod species that colonize microhabitats not included in previous studies on Zelkova trees were expected to be recorded. Samples were collected from the bark and twigs of Z. abelicea at eight localities in all main mountain ranges. Among the collected material, Collembola were the most numerous (10,285), followed by Acari (2237) and representatives of Psocoptera (422). The obtained material and statistical analyses showed that the arthropod assemblages differed considerably at each experimental site, with the most distinct assemblage characteristics observed at the Gerakari site on Mt. Kedros in central Crete. The most numerous specimens were species of Collembola: Xenylla maritima (3844), Xenylla sp. 2 (maritima complex) (3364) and Xenylla sp. 1 (maritima complex) (2631). A total of 33 Collembola species were recorded, of which 19 had not been previously reported in Crete. Among them, 11 species were likely new to science and will be the subject of separate taxonomic studies.
Highlights
Relict tree species were originally widely distributed on Earth thousands or even millions of years ago
The highest mean number of specimens per sampling site was reported for Collembola (258), while the lowest number was reported for Lepidoptera (0.05) and Rhaphidioptera (0.03)
Our study provides a small but significant addition to this field of study, as corroborated by the 19 recorded Collembola species that had never been reported for Crete, which included 11 species, i.e., almost one-third of the recorded species) that are likely new to science
Summary
Relict tree species were originally widely distributed on Earth thousands or even millions of years ago. As a result of changing climatic and environmental conditions, they are presently found only sporadically in places where they encounter appropriate conditions for their survival [1] Examples of such relict trees include species belonging to the genera Aesculus, Laurus, Liquidambar, Juglans, Parrotia, Pterocarya, Rhododendron and Zelkova [2,3]. A considerable number of old that constitute unique microhabitats remain, promoting conducive conditions for the preservation of biodiversity [6]. These microhabitats, sometimes referred to in the literature as “tree-related microhabitats” [7,8], shelter a wide range of organisms, from fungi to bryophytes, invertebrates, birds and mammals
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