Stem-inhabiting harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones) in a spruce, a mixed, and a beech stand in the Solling mountains

In the Solling mountains (Southern Lower Saxony, Germany) the fauna was sampled for one year with stem eclectors in adjacent spruce, mixed (spruce/beech), and beech stands. The tree age was more than 90 years. Four sampling treatments were established: eclectors on spruce stems in the spruce stand (1), on beech stems in the beech stand (2), and on spruce (3) and beech stems in the mixed stand (4). The following harvestmen species, with 1601 individuals in total, were found: Mitopus morio, Oligolophus tridens, Platybunus bucephalus, Leiobunum blackwalli, and Leiobunum rotundum. The number of individuals was highest on spruce stems in the more open spruce stand, mainly due to Mitopus morio, whereas number of species was highest on beech stems in the mixed stand. Both the number of individuals and species were lowest on beech stems in the beech stand. Here, additional information about the phenology of the harvestmen species is given

Harvestmen (Arachnida, Opiliones) in mixed and pure stands of spruce and beech - a study in the Solling mountains

Im Solling (Süd-Niedersachsen, Deutschland) wurden in einer Blockdesign-Studie 18 alte (> 90 Jahre) und mittelalte (58 - 89 Jahre) Fichten-, Misch- (Fichte/Buche) und Buchenbestände untersucht, die in sechs Blöcken angeordnet waren; jeder Block bestand aus einem Fichten-, einem Misch- und einem Buchenbestand. Es sollte überprüft werden, welchen Einfluss der Bestandestyp auf die Diversität und die Struktur von Populationen der epigäischen Bodenmakrofauna hat. In jeder Altersstufe wurde die Fauna über ein Jahr mit Streu- und Bodenproben, Bodenphotoeklektoren und Bodenfallen erfasst; die in diesem Beitrag dargelegten Ergebnisse zu den Weberknechten beziehen sich überwiegend auf Bodenfallenfänge. In beiden Altersstufen waren die Individuendichten der Arten und die Artendichte sowie der Deckungsgrad und die Diversität der Krautschicht in den lichteren Fichten- oder Fichten- und Mischbeständen signifikant am höchsten (nach einer nichtparametrischen zweifaktoriellen Varianzanalyse). Wichtige extrinsische Faktoren, die Diversität und Struktur der Weberknechtgemeinschaften beeinflussen, sind die Habitatdiversität, die Stratifikation der Vegetation und der für Populationen verfügbare Aktivitätsraum. In der vorliegenden Studie wird außerdem über die Phänologie der Weberknechtarten informiert. Im Solling wurden bisher 16 Weberknechtarten nachgewiesen.In the Solling mountains (Southern Lower Saxony, Germany) a block design study was carried out in 18 old (> 90 yrs) and middle-aged (58 - 89 yrs) spruce, beech, and mixed forest stands (spruce/ beech), arranged in six blocks, each consisting of a spruce, a beech, and a mixed forest stand, to investigate the effect of the forest stand type on the diversity and structure of epigeic macrofauna communities. In each age class, the fauna was sampled for one year by means of soil core samples, ground photo eclectors, and pitfall traps. The results for the harvestmen presented in this contribution focus on pitfall trap catches. In each age class, the numbers of individuals of the harvestmen species and the species density as well as the cover and diversity of the ground vegetation were significantly highest in the more open spruce or spruce and mixed forest stands, according to a nonparametrical twofactorial analysis of variance. Important extrinsic factors influencing the diversity and structure of the harvestmen communities are habitat diversity, stratification of the vegetation, and space for locomotory activity. Additionally, in the present study information about the phenology of the harvestmen species is given. In the Solling mountains 16 harvestmen species have been recorded to date

Stammbewohnende Weberknechte (Arachnida: Opiliones) in einem Fichten- einem Misch- und einem Buchenbestand im Solling

In the Solling mountains (Southern Lower Saxony, Germany) the fauna was sampled for one year with stem eclectors in adjacent spruce, mixed (spruce/beech), and beech stands. The tree age was more than 90 years. Four sampling treatments were established: eclectors on spruce stems in the spruce stand (1), on beech stems in the beech stand (2), and on spruce (3) and beech stems in the mixed stand (4). The following harvestmen species, with 1601 individuals in total, were found: Mitopus morio, Oligolophus tridens, Platybunus bucephalus, Leiobunum blackwalli, and Leiobunum rotundum. The number of individuals was highest on spruce stems in the more open spruce stand, mainly due to Mitopus morio, whereas number of species was highest on beech stems in the mixed stand. Both the number of individuals and species were lowest on beech stems in the beech stand. Here, additional information about the phenology of the harvestmen species is given