Abstract
Of the more than 300 species of Psocoptera described in North America, 44 species have been documented on eastern hemlock, Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carrière, in the southern Appalachians. However, the distribution and co-occurrence patterns of these species throughout the tree canopy are unknown. This study was initiated to evaluate specimen abundance, species richness and species composition among three designated strata in the canopy of eastern hemlock, assess species for vertical stratification patterns, and determine if co-occurrence patterns of Psocoptera species are random or non-random. During this study, 27 species representing 18 genera and 10 families were evaluated. Psocopteran specimen abundance, species richness and composition differed among the lower, middle, and upper strata. Unique assemblages were identified in each stratum, indicating vertical stratification. The upper stratum of the canopy had five exclusive species, the middle had four exclusive species, and the lower stratum had 14 exclusive species. The co-occurrence pattern of Psocoptera species in the canopy of eastern hemlock was non-random.
Highlights
Psocopterans comprise a major component of arthropod diversity on eastern hemlock, Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carrière, occupying an important ecological role as major consumers of microepiphytes as well as an integral food source for predators [1,2]
Trees provide a complex of habitats within their canopies with an array of differing biotic and abiotic conditions resulting from the amount of live foliage, dead foliage, and open bark surfaces in which certain species of Psocoptera are associated
This study is the first assessment of the psocopteran community found in association with eastern hemlock in the southern Appalachians focused on entire canopy sampling
Summary
Psocopterans comprise a major component of arthropod diversity on eastern hemlock, Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carrière, occupying an important ecological role as major consumers of microepiphytes as well as an integral food source for predators [1,2]. Of the more than 300 species of Psocoptera described in North America [2], 44 species have been documented on eastern hemlock, in the southern Appalachians [3]. These arboreal species are commonly called “bark lice” and exhibit a variety of feeding habits, including microepiphytic grazing, scavenging, and detritus feeding. Densities of Psocoptera on the bark of European larch, i.e., Larix decidua Mill., have been reported at >4,000/m2, which Thornton [1] equates to >6,000/m2 of land surface. Trees provide a complex of habitats within their canopies with an array of differing biotic and abiotic conditions resulting from the amount of live foliage, dead foliage, and open bark surfaces in which certain species of Psocoptera are associated
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