Structure of Harvestmen (Arachnida, Opiliones) Communities in Different, Anthropically Disturbed Beech Ecosystems (Western Carpathians, Slovakia)

Abstract

Abstract The authors evaluate the impact of different types of forestry management, and other anthropic disturbances, on harvestmen (Opiliones) communities in sub-mountain beech stands in the Western Carpathians. Harvestmen were studied in three main localities, consisting of nine partial plots (Žiar nad Hronom - (1) control closed canopy stand; Jalná - (2) control stand, (3) thinning stand, (4) 11-year old forest clearing, and (5) 2-year old forest clearing; Kováčová - (6) control stand, (7) coppice, (8) 10-year old forest clearing, and (9) 3-year old forest clearing). In total, 16 harvestmen species were found, representing 45.7 % of the 35 harvestmen species range known in Slovakia to date. Th e most abundant species, i. e., those with the highest dominance values (D), were Lophopilio palpinalis (D = 22.8%), Trogulus nepaeformis (D = 17.9%), Lacinius ephippiatus (D = 12.2%), Trogulus tricarinatus (D = 11.3%), Oligolophus tridens (D = 10.5%), and Nemastoma lugubre (D = 6.7%). At the partial plot of the 3-year old forest clearing, we found eight harvestmen species and noticed a high number of specimens (5.49) caught in one individual trap, and this was also the highest number among all the nine sites.