Saproxylic Diptera assemblages in a temperate deciduous forest: implications for community assembly

PeerJ

article

Julia J. Mlynarek¹  Amélie Grégoire Taillefer²  Terry A. Wheeler² 

[1] Harrow Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada;Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University;BioÉco Environnement, Pincourt

关键词: Dead wood;    Flies;    American beech;    Community assembly;    Coarse woody debris;    Sugar maple;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.6027

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

Saproxylic insects, those associated directly or indirectly with decaying wood for all or part of their life cycle, compose a large proportion of forest organisms. Flies (Diptera) are often the most abundant and species-rich group of insects in forest microhabitats, yet most work to date on saproxylic insect diversity and ecology has focused on beetles (Coleoptera). We compared saproxylic Diptera assemblages reared from two tree species (sugar maple and American beech) at two stages of decay (early/young and advanced/old) for a total of 20 logs in an eastern Canadian Nearctic old-growth forest. We found that communities are distinct within both species type and decay stage of wood. Early decay stage wood is more variable in community composition than later decay stage; however, as the age of the decaying wood increases, the abundance of Diptera increases significantly. Most indicator species are discernible in later decay stage and wood type. We venture to suggest that stochastic and deterministic processes may play a role in driving Diptera communities in temperate deciduous forests. To retain the highest saproxylic Diptera diversity in a forest, a variety of decaying wood types at different stages of decomposition is necessary.

【 授权许可】

CC BY