<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Changes in body size of living organisms can indicate changes in environmental quality. The family Carabidae is frequently used as an indicator of environmental status. We collected ground beetles in 9 Slovakian localities (in the Veporské vrchy Mts and the Juhoslovenská kotlina Basin) of various levels of disturbance, and evaluated the volume of individuals. The lowest average body volumes of individual were found for an intensively grazed pasture (locality 5) and a nitrophilous waterside vegetation (locality 6) (1,298 mm3–4,648 mm3) with predominantly macropterous species. We have confirmed the significantly higher average biovolume value of individual Carabidae in less disturbed habitats: a <italic>Picea abies</italic> plantation (locality 1), a Carpathian oak-hornbeam forest (locality 4) and a Carpathian turkey oak forest (locality 7) (from 9,837 mm3 to 13,038 mm3), where apterous and brachypterous species dominated.</abstract>

Changes in body size of living organisms can indicate changes in environmental quality. The family Carabidae is frequently used as an indicator of environmental status. We collected ground beetles in 9 Slovakian localities (in the Veporské vrchy Mts and the Juhoslovenská kotlina Basin) of various levels of disturbance, and evaluated the volume of individuals. The lowest average body volumes of individual were found for an intensively grazed pasture (locality 5) and a nitrophilous waterside vegetation (locality 6) (1,298 mm3–4,648 mm3) with predominantly macropterous species. We have confirmed the significantly higher average biovolume value of individual Carabidae in less disturbed habitats: a Picea abies plantation (locality 1), a Carpathian oak-hornbeam forest (locality 4) and a Carpathian turkey oak forest (locality 7) (from 9,837 mm3 to 13,038 mm3), where apterous and brachypterous species dominated.

Body volume in ground beetles (Carabidae) reflects biotope disturbance

Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences

Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra

Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Faculty of Natural Sciences

Folia Oecologica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

{"article-title":"Body volume in ground beetles (Carabidae) reflects biotope disturbance"}

Changes in body size of living organisms can indicate changes in environmental quality. The family Carabidae is frequently used as an indicator of...

Body volume in ground beetles (Carabidae) reflects biotope disturbance

Publié en ligne: 10 févr. 2018

Pages: 114 - 120

Reçu: 23 nov. 2016

Accepté: 25 sept. 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/foecol-2017-0014

Mots clés
biovolume, Carabidae, indicator, Slovakia

© 2017 Vladimír Langraf et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Body volume in ground beetles (Carabidae) reflects biotope disturbance

Publié en ligne: 10 févr. 2018

Pages: 114 - 120

Reçu: 23 nov. 2016

Accepté: 25 sept. 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/foecol-2017-0014

Mots clésbiovolume, Carabidae, indicator, Slovakia

© 2017 Vladimír Langraf et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Mots clés
biovolume, Carabidae, indicator, Slovakia