Carpathian Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences

An International Peer-Reviewed Open Access Journal

« Back

ARTICLE IN Volume 2, 2007 - Number 2

CLIMATIC EFFECTS ON LONG-TERM FLUCTUATIONS IN SPECIES RICHNESS AND ABUNDANCE LEVEL OF FOREST MACROLEPIDOPTERAN ASSEMBLAGES IN A HUNGARIAN MOUNTAINOUS REGION



Ferenc SZENTKIRÁLYI1*, Katalin LESKÓ2 & Ferenc KÁDÁR3
1Department of Zoology, Plant Protection Institute of H.A.S., H-1525 Budapest, P.O.Box 102., Hungary, *author for correspondence (E-mail: h2404sze@ella.hu)
2Department of Forest Protection, Forest Research Institute, H-1023 Budapest, Frankel Leó út 42-44. (E-mail: leskokatalin@invitel.hu)
3Department of Zoology, Plant Protection Institute of H.A.S., H-1525 Budapest, P.O.Box 102., Hungary

Download PDF document Downloads: 7776

Abstract

Hungarian forest protection service has operated a light-trap network since 1962 produced time series of catches of Macrolepidoptera. This study analysed how long-term fluctuation patterns of total annual species richness and abundance level of macro-moth assemblages and their humidity preferential subgroups were influenced by some climatic characteristics, i.e. aridity level, number of heat days, and amount of spring precipitation. By the 43-year trends in annual proportion of species number and abundance the macro-moth assemblages showed more or less stable structure in oak-hornbeam and beech forest zone. Euryoecic, hygrophilous, mesophilous, and xerophilous moths responded by increasing species number and abundance in their fluctuation patterns to the rising of aridity level and annual frequency of heat days. The growing amount of spring precipitation reduced both species richness and abundance of macro-moths by raising larval mortality.
Keywords:
  • Macro-moth
  • assemblage
  • light-trapping
  • forest
  • fluctuation
  • pattern
  • trend
  • species
  • richness
  • annual
  • abundance
  • climatic
  • effects
  • drought.

How to cite

F. SZENTKIRÁLYI, Katalin LESKÓ & F. KÁDÁR (2007). CLIMATIC EFFECTS ON LONG-TERM FLUCTUATIONS IN SPECIES RICHNESS AND ABUNDANCE LEVEL OF FOREST MACROLEPIDOPTERAN ASSEMBLAGES IN A HUNGARIAN MOUNTAINOUS REGION

Google Scholar