Arachnologische Mitteilungen
https://arages.de/zeitschrift/arachnologische-mitteilungenMuster C & Blick T
Pseudoscorpions (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones) in Strict Forest Reserves in Hesse (Germany)
Pseudoskorpione (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones) aus hessischen Naturwaldreservaten
Heft 50
In 1990 the Federal State of Hesse (Germany) started a long-term faunistic research programme in selected Strict Forest Reserves. Here we report the results of the inventory of pseudoscorpions from seven reserves: Goldbachs- und Ziebachsrück, Hasenblick, Hohestein, Kinzigaue, Niddahänge east of Rudingshain, Schönbuche and Stirnberg. A total of 4567 specimens (315-1314 per site) belonging to 13 species (4-9 per site) were recorded using a broad spectrum of methods. The bulk of material comes from pitfall traps (83%), followed by various types of stem eclectors (16%). The structure and quality of the species assemblage in the oak-dominated flood plain forest of the Kinzigaue differs strongly from those of the remaining reserves, which are all dominated by beech. In the Kinzigaue a species-rich community (9 species) with balanced dominance structure (Shannon-Index 1.67) has been recorded. At this site, rare or moderately common species reach abundance proportions of more than 50%. Most importantly, two species with strong affinities to pristine forests, Dendrochernes cyrneus and Chernes cimicoides, were exclusively recorded from this reserve. In contrast, the beech-dominated reserves were strongly dominated by a single species, Neobisium carcinoides (59-91% of the specimens, Shannon-Index <1), and the abundance proportion of the very common species exceeded 90% in each of these areas. Temperature and altitude determine the composition of the species communities significantly. Of the recorded species, two will be categorized in the forthcoming Red Lists of pseudoscorpions of Germany and Hesse. Dendrochernes cyrneus (cat. 3 "vulnerable") reached an abundance proportion of 20% in the reserve Kinzigaue. Dinocheirus panzeri (cat. G "indeterminate risk") has been recorded in single specimens from the reserves Hasenblick, Stirnberg and Niddahänge. The preferred habitat for most of the species is the forest. Species with strong affinities to forests make up more than 95% of the specimens in all reserves except for Kinzigaue, where this proportion was 89%. Species richness and abundances were not different between the Strict Forest Reserves (management was stopped at the end of the 1980's) and the reference areas with continued forestry. However, the proportions of rare and moderately common species were higher in the Strict Reserves as compared to the reference areas.
Central Europe, Fagus sylvatica, nature conservation, old growth forests