Abstract
Annual flood dynamics represent a determining factor in shaping habitats of lowland floodplains. Terrestrial arthropods of the soil and herb layer are particularly exposed to flooding events. We quantified the impact of flooding duration on abundance, species richness and composition of terrestrial true bug assemblages (Heteroptera) on floodplain meadows in the nature reserve "Untere Marchauen" (Lower Austria) and its close proximity. Heteroptera were sampled by sweep netting on meadows with different flooding regimes ranging from meadows only occasionally flooded by a rising ground-water level to meadows usually flooded for several weeks per year. A total of 11,950 individuals, 5,312 of them adults belonging to 118 species, were collected. Species richness and abundance of true bugs were negatively affected by flooding duration and species composition differed between meadows of different flooding regimes. Our study proved that anthropogenically induced changes in hydrological dynamics of floodplains can have a tremendous effect on richness and structure of terrestrial true bug communities.
| Original language | English |
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| Title of host publication | 5th Symposium for Research in Protected Areas, Mittersill, Austria |
| Pages | 245-250 |
| Volume | 5 |
| Publication status | Published - 2013 |
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 106001 General biology
- 106003 Biodiversity research