Selected elements of cultural landscape structure in Wielkopolska region of Poland as habitats for the parasitoid hymenoptera Pimplinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae)

Abstract

Abstract The studies included cultural landscapes of simple (agricultural land) and complex (forest) structure in Wielkopolska. The goal of the studies was to define biocoenotic function of marginal habitats such as – shrubs, field border, road borders, and forest edges – structural elements of agricultural landscape making suitable habitats for parasitoid hymenoptera of subfamily Pimplinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) The authors wanted to establish: which of marginal habitats are most attractive for Pimplinae; which of these habitats are similar to forest habitats, due to the qualitative and quantitative structure of parasitoid hymenoptera communities living there; and whether linear marginal habitats (like road sides) can fulfil the function of ecological corridors for parasitoid hymenoptera, between agricultural and forest habitats. The species diversity of Pimplinae in all the habitats of agricultural landscape and forest environment (national park) was similar. On the forest edges (high heterogeneity landscape), the communities of Pimplinae were most numerous. In the low heterogeneity landscape, the greatest species diversity occurred in shrubs. The majority of Pimplinae populations living in agricultural landscape and forest showed great similarity in their qualitative structure and less similarity in their quantitative structure. The conclusion can be made that marginal habitats of agricultural landscape make attractive environment for parasitoids of Pimplinae and that vegetation alongside roads can make function as ecological corridors.