Comparison of Myriapoda in beech and spruce forests

Abstract

Pitfall traps were used to capture 3,550 individuals and 34 species of Myriapoda in five pairs of Norway spruce and beech stands in the Moravskoslezské Beskydy Mts. (Czech Republic). Differences in the occurrence of Chilopoda, Diplopoda and Isopoda on sites with spruce and beech were determined by F-test. Diplopoda and Isopoda preferred beech stands and Chilopoda spruce stands. The species Protracheoniscus politus (Koch) (Isopoda) indicated a positive relation to beech stands. Among Diplopoda, a strong linkage to beech was seen in Glomeris hexasticha (Brandt), while Julus scandinavius (Latzel), Hassea flavescens (Latzel) and Brachyiulus bagnalli (Curtis) tended to prefer the spruce forest environment. The highest variability was found in Chilopoda, of which the species dominating in beech stands are Cryptops parisi (Brölemann), Strigamia acuminata (Leach) and Strigamia transsilvanica (Verhoeff), while Geophilus flavus (DeGeer) and Geophilus insculptus (Attems) prevail in spruce stands. A wide spectrum of captured species of the order Lithobiomorpha differentiate in their relation to spruce [Lithobius forficatus (L.), L. cyrtopus Latzel, L. erythrocephalus C.L. Koch, L. tenebrosus Meinert, L. austriacus (Verhoeff), L. biunguiculatus (Loksa)] and beech [Lithobius microps (Meinert), L. mutabilis L. Koch, L. burzenlandicus Verhoeff, L. micropodus (Matic) and L. nodulipes Latzel]. Based on the findings, we can confirm increased incidence in beech forests, although the result is not unambiguous. Therefore, it is necessary to admit that the factor of the main tree species within a stand cannot be used as the single criterion and needs to be supplemented with additional conditions of the natural environment.

Keywords

• chilopoda
• diplopoda
• isopoda
• norway spruce
• beskydy mts