Species Diversity of Carabids (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in Different Types of Bydgoszcz Urban Green Belts and Suburban Environments

Abstract

Urban environments are ecosystems that differ clearly from the natural environment in numerous factors of nature and intensity. Under the conditions of the urban environment the parameters of climate change, the process of alkalization of the top soil layers and the accumulation of heavy metals, especially zinc, lead and copper as well as a considerable content of bitumen, are in progress (BANASZAK 1998). The species composition of urban phytocenoses becomes poorer and poorer and usually leads to the replacement of herbaceous plant associations with poorly-diversified grass associations. One of the elements of research into the structure deformations and operation rules of urban ecosystems is the evaluation of entomofauna communities, as essential indicators of changes which occur in them. Carabid (Carabidae) beetles are considered to be such bioindicators due to their sensitivity to various changes in the natural environment. At the end of the 1990s research was launched into communities of these beetles on selected green belts of Bydgoszcz and the areas adjacent to this urban area. The present results encompass 2002-2004 and are a continuation of research into Carabidae communities of successive urban green belts (the Kujawskie Roundabout, D1browski Hill) as well as forest areas adjacent to the urban area (Myœlecinek, Forest Jastrzebie) and also two sites in the vicinity of Œwiecie upon Wis3a. The following were clear dominants for suburban forest areas: Pterostichus melanarius (L.), Pterostichus oblongopunctatus (Fabr.) and for the area of Forest Jastrzebie: Pterostichus niger (Schall.) and as for genus Carabus: C. hortensis L., C. violaceus L. and C. arvensis Herbst. A high position in the dominance structure of the green belts of the city was recorded for the following species: Calathus fuscipes (Goeze), and Calathus erratus (C.R.Sahlb) and Harpalus rufipes (De Geer).