Biodiversity of epigeic beetles in urban and suburban areas was studied in the area of Český Krumlov (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Study confirmed the influence of urban-suburban gradient on the epigeic beetles. Every level of that gradient was characterized by indicator species.

My thesis is focused on valuation methods intensively used agricultural landscapes according to the importance of near-natural habitats in terms of their natural values and ecosystem services. This is done at four sites using pitfall traps, where there was a catch beetles (Carabidae). To evaluate the data I used indicators such as the Shannon index serenity. Procedures for calculating the ecological value of the area and the ecosystem services provided I processed according to the proposed method Seják et al., (2010). Rating I performed by BVM (,, habitat valuation methods "). Replacement cost method I used for the calculation of ecosystem services.

In 2012 it was observed foraging ecology of the three males of greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis), inhabiting individual roosts in the interior of road bridge near Bernartice, and the nearest nursery colony of the same species in the village Senožaty (district Pelhřimov). In the period April to September in Senožaty were made 14 collections at intervals of approximately 14 days and in the bridge near Bernartice at similar intervals were made 8 collections from each male in the period from May to September. From each collection were subsequently been analyzed 20 samples (pellets) by the traditional method of preparation of faeces. Overall it was from all the bats analyzed 760 samples, of which 280 from the nursery colony and 480 from males. Based on the analysis was found diet composition of individual bats and of the colony, where the overall character of the trophic niche of the greater mouse-eared bat, seasonal dynamics in it's diet composition, sex differences and individual differences between males were observed. From a point of view of it's hunting strategy the greater mouse-eared bat showed itself as a ground gleaner, in whose diet were dominated larger Coleoptera, of which the predominant component were large, flightless, mostly forest Carabidae, adding medium and smaller species of...

No description available.

The potential impact of generalist predators on armyworm mortality was evaluated in the field, through a predator removal study, and in the laboratory, through controlled feeding trials. The most common potential armyworm predators removed from the field included ground beetles (Carabidae), rove beetles (Staphylinidae), ants (Formicidae), and spiders (Araneae). Armyworm damage to corn plants was significantly greater where generalist predator populations were reduced, through the use of pitfall traps and exclusion arenas, than in the control where predator populations were unaltered. The differences in the proportion of damaged plants and the degree of damage between the predator removal treatment and the control were statistically significant. Generalist predator consumption rates of live armyworm larvae in the laboratory were variable, however most predators did feed on the larvae. Large carabid beetles, including Pterostichus chalcites Say, Pterostichus lucublandus Say, and Scarites subterraneus F., exhibited the highest consumption rates. Generalist predators were sampled in four reduced-tillage corn systems which differed in the degree of soil disturbance and quantity and structure of the surface mulch due to tillage and cover crop management practices. The two sampling methods which were used, pitfall trapping and vacuum sampling, showed similar trends in predator abundance. The treatment with the highest degree of mulch ground cover had the highest overall predator abundance while the treatment which was disked and had no surface mulch had the lowest. Although several species tended to prefer the system with the least amount of ground cover, most of the common species preferred the treatment with the most groundcover. Pitfall trap catches over a three-day period indicated that predator activity was significantly higher during the day than night in all treatments. However, a laboratory study provided evidence that night activity in the field may have been reduced due to unusually low temperatures. Catch data from pitfall traps, unbaited and baited with live armyworm larvae, indicated that long-distance chemical detection is not an important cue for generalist predators in finding armyworm as prey. A removal sampling technique was used and evaluated for estimating the absolute densities of ground beetles (Carabidae). Removal sampling is a method of absolute density estimation based on the decline in successive catch numbers as individuals are removed from a population. Field arenas were used to isolate sampling areas in a no-till corn field and barrier pitfall traps were installed within the arenas to remove the carabids. Three three-week sampling trials were conducted in 1991 providing data for estimates on 5 June, 26 June, and 17 July. A single six-week sampling period was conducted in 1992 providing data for estimates on 2 June based on three, four, five, and six weeks of sampling. A linear regression method was used for calculating the estimate from the removal sampling data. The technique's practicality and agreement with the assumptions of removal sampling are discussed. / Master of Science

Forests are more than a stand of trees in the landscape. They represent a complex, functional system of interacting and often interdependent biological, physical and chemical components (Kimmins 1997). In the past, complex interactions were increasingly recognized over time as food webs, abiotic processes and biotic feedbacks since then defined as the forest ecosystem. Trees grow in a world of multitrophic interactions (van der Putten et al. 2001). One component of this functional system is represented in several aspects by spiders and insects, as they contribute considerably to the biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in forest habitats (Watt et al. 1997). There is knowledge on the community composition of several forests of different stand type or tree species composition referring to soil dwelling arthropods. Moreover, studies often highlight the orientation of single arthropod species on abiotic factors or the composition of species assemblages in case studies; these represent ecologically well described groups that can be used as indicators of habitat quality (Pearce and Venier 2006; Cardoso et al. 2004). Evidence on the scale of interactions between the species and their environment are rare. This applies particularly to examples based on fine spatial and temporal scales.

Tyrimo objektas. Epigėjinių vabalų bendrijos Kamšos botaniniame-zoologiniame draustinyje, 458 kvartale, 5 sklype. Norėdami nustatyti ekspozicijos vietų reljefo įtaką epigėjinių vabalų individų ir rūšių gausai, pasirinkome 5 tyrimų barelius, esančius lygioje miško vietoje ir šiauriniame, pietiniame, rytiniame bei vakariniame šlaituose. Tikslas - nustatyti epigėjinių vabalų bendrijų struktūrą ir jos pokyčius vegetacijos eigoje bei priklausomai nuo ekspozicijos vietų reljefo. Darbo metodai. Tyrimui buvo naudojama Barberio žemės gaudyklės. Gaudyklę sudaro plastikiniai 0,5 l talpos ir 6,5 cm skersmens indeliai, įkasti į žemę sulig paklotės paviršiumi. 1/3 gaudyklės buvo pripilama 10% formalino tirpalo. Tai apsaugojo epigėjinius vabalus nuo puvimo ir vabzdžialesių paukščių. Kiekviename barelyje buvo įrengta po 5 gaudykles, iš viso 25 gaudyklės. Atstumas tarp gaudyklių buvo 5 metrai. Surinkti epigėjiniai vabalai buvo džiovinami ir identifikuojami ASU laboratorijose. Darbo rezultatai. 2012 m. gegužės – rugpjūčio mėnesiais buvo atlikta 10 apskaitų, iš viso surinkta 1627 vnt. epigėjinių vabalų. Indenfikuotos 4 rūšys: Carabidae, Silphidae, Curculionidae, Staphylinidae ir 15 rūšių. Gausiausia iš sugautų rūšių buvo Phosphuga atrata – 312 vabalų. Lyginant sugautų vabalų skaičių skirtingo reljefo sklypo vietose, nustatyta, kad daugiausia epigėjinių vabalų sugauta lygioje miško vietoje įrengtomis gaudyklėmis. Antroje vietoje - vakariniam šlaite... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Study object. The research of ground beetles Insecta: Coleoptera was made in Kamša botanical-zoological reserve, 458-th section, 5-th plot. We have chosen 5 parts of the plot for investigation: in a plane surface of the forest, on the North, the South the East and the West slopes in order to detect influence of the exposition place relief to abundance of caught ground beetles individuals and species. The aim of investigation was to determine structure of ground beetle communities, its temporal changes and dependence on the relief of exposition place. Methods of investigation. The Barberis ground traps were used in the research, 5 units in the each chosen part, 25 in total. The distances between the ground traps were 5 m. The trap is made from a 0,5 l volume and 6,5 cm diameter plastic cruet. The traps were digged in to ground to the top of the trap. 1/3 of the trap was filled with a 10% formalin soak. In that case the insects were saved from decomposing and birds. The collected beetles were dried and identified in the labs of Aleksandras Stulginskis University. Results. The total amount of collected ground beetles in 10 records, made since May to August 2012, was 1627. A variety of 15 species in 4 families Carabidae, Silphidae, Curculionidae, Staphylinidae were identified. The most abundant species collected was Phosphuga atrata – 312 ground beetles. The maximum quantity of ground beetles were caught in the plane surface of the forest, the... [to full text]

Thesis (doctoral)--Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2002. / Thesis documentation sheet inserted. Appendix reprints five published papers and manuscripts, three co-authored with others. Includes bibliographical references. Also available electronically via World Wide Web in PDF format; online version lacks appendix.

Epigeic beetle communities were studied on three agroecosystems with different crops grown. All three agroecosystems were located in the vicinity of Ceske Budejovice (Lišov). The first eco-agroecosystem was alfalfa field. On the second one was meadow. The third eco-agroecosystem was permanent grassland. The agroekosystems differd not only in crops but also in agrotechnical operations during the capture. For all agroecosystems was for capture of the organisms used method of pitfall traps. Subsequently, those organisms have been studied. Then was studied the measure of human impact on the biodiversity of species of different ecological groups found in these locations.

SUMMARY The assemblages of epigeic beetles were studied in various types of agroecosystems in the submontaneous area of Novohradske hory (South Bohemia, Czech republic). The research took place in years 2009 and 2011. There were sown various types of crops, in the target places, on which were established either biobelts (research 2009) or permanent green belts with trees and shrubs (research 2011) in past. The aim of the study was to assess, whether or how these landscape structures influence epigeic beetles. The datas were gathered by sampling ground beetles with ground traps. The collected material was put then through identification and this was the base for assessing the parameters of landscape structures influence on epigeic beetles. These parameters were: the species diversity, the abundance and the ammount of relict species. It was collected 3099 beetles and it was managed to identify 54 species at all. The interest groups of invertebrates were ground beetles/carabids (Carabidae) and rove beetles (Staphylinidae). The results differed for both groups. The rove beetles were generally more abundant, than ground beetles and most of them were found in crops in the year 2009. The lowest numbers were caught in crops 2011. There was a quite remarkable contrast between these two results. The species diversity of rove beetles was too lower, than the ground beetles? one. The results of biodiversity seemed to be strange so as the abundance was. The diversity was the highest in the crops 2009 and the slowest in the crops 2011. Nearly the same diversity was found in biobelts, which are really different type of habitat. The carabids? abundance was not so oscillating like by the rove beetles. They were the most abundant in biobelts and the less in permanent belts. The abundance in crops in both years was nearly the same. The species diversity was highest in permanent belts and the lowest in crops in the year of 2009. The results about antropic influence on epigeic beetles assemblages, based on ecological characteristics of beetles, were eventually raised. It was established, that all the populations are strongly affected by human. The results say, that habitats like biobelt and permanent belt seem to have a positive impact on epigeic beetles assemblages, namely on relict or rare beetles survival. The results have very disparate and sometimes contradictory nature, thus cannot be sumarized.