Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-wg55d Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-10T00:43:26.203Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of forest-dune ecotone management on the endangered heath grasshopper, Chorthippus vagans (Orthoptera: Acrididae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 April 2008

A. Hochkirch ,
A.-C. Gärtner  and
T. Brandt
A. Hochkirch*
Affiliation:
University of Osnabrück, Department of Biology/Chemistry, Division of Ecology, Barbarastr. 13, D-49076 Osnabrück University of Trier, Department 6, Biogeography Group Am Wissenschaftspark 25-27, D-54296 Trier
A.-C. Gärtner
Affiliation:
University of Osnabrück, Department of Biology/Chemistry, Division of Ecology, Barbarastr. 13, D-49076 Osnabrück
T. Brandt
Affiliation:
Ökologische Schutzstation Steinhuder Meer, Hagenburger Str. 16, D-31547 Rehburg-Loccum
*
*Author for correspondence Fax: 49 651 201 3857 E-mail: hochkirch@uni-trier.de
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Dry, oligotrophic ecosystems are highly threatened in Europe due to massive changes in land use and eutrophication. The conservation of these xeric habitats has received much attention, whereas the ecotones between xeric habitats and other habitat types are often disregarded. One species which mainly inhabits the transition zone between pine forests and adjacent xeric habitats is the heath grasshopper, Chorthippus vagans. This species is endangered in large parts of Europe. One of the largest populations in northern Germany is found on a degraded inland dune near Hanover. This population is threatened by dense growth of deciduous trees and litter accumulation. We analyzed changes in the distribution of this population after the implementation of conservation measures (thinning out the forest and removal of leaf litter). Moreover, we examined dispersal distances of the species in order to assess its colonization potential. We also studied the microhabitat preferences of C. vagans to assess key factors influencing its local distribution. Our data show a substantial growth in population size, which might be a consequence of the conservation measures. New patches on the dune were colonized, promoting dispersal between the subpopulations. We propose that restoration of forest-dune ecotones should be considered more often in landscape planning and conservation management.

Keywords

insect conservationforest managementforest edgeinland dunesdune managementthinning out
Type
Research Paper
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 98 , Issue 5 , October 2008 , pp. 449 - 456
Copyright
Copyright © 2008 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Altmoos, M. (2000) Habitat, Mobilität und Schutz der Heuschrecken Sphingonotus caerulans (L., 1767) und Oedipodia caerulescens (L., 1758) in unrekultivierten Folgelandschaften des Braunkohlentagebaus im Südraum Leipzig. Articulata 15, 65–85.Google Scholar
Bakker, J.P. & Berendse, F. (1999) Constraints in the restoration of ecological diversity in grassland and heathland communities. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 14, 63–68.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Baur, R., Baur, H., Roesti, C. & Roesti, D. (2006) Die Heuschrecken der Schweiz. 352 pp. Bern, Haupt Verlag.Google Scholar
Bedford, S.E. & Usher, M.B. (1994) Distribution of arthropod species across the margins of farm woodlands. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 48, 295–305.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bieringer, G. & Zulka, K.P. (2003) Shading out species richness: edge effect of a pine plantation on the Orthoptera (Tettigoniidae and Acrididae) assemblage of an adjacent dry grassland. Biodiversity and Conservation 12, 1481–1495.Google Scholar
Bowden, C.G.R. (1990) Selection of foraging habitats by woodlarks (Lullula arborea) nesting in pine plantations. Journal of Applied Ecology 27, 410–419.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brandt, T. (2003) Die Verbreitung und Lebensraumbindung der Heuschrecken (Ensifera et Caelifera) am Steinhuder Meer, Region Hannover, Landkreise Nienburg und Schaumburg, Niedersachsen. Berichte der Naturhistorischen Gesellschaft Hannover 145, 161–192.Google Scholar
Brandt, T. & Schäfer, F. (2004) Der Steppengrashüpfer (Chorthippus vagans, Eversmann 1848) an seiner nördlichen Verbreitungsgrenze am Steinhuder Meer, Niedersachsen. Articulata 19, 61–74.Google Scholar
Brose, U., Peschel, R. & Klatt, R. (1999) Habitatspektrum und Verbreitung des Steppengrashüpfers (Chorthippus vagans) in Norddeutschland. Artenschutzreport 9, 4–7.Google Scholar
Buchweitz, M. & Walter, R. (1992) Individualmarkierung von Heuschrecken – ein Erfahrungsbericht. Articulata 7, 55–61.Google Scholar
Crawley, M.J. (2005) Statistical Computing: An Introduction to Data Analysis using S-Plus. 762 pp. Chichester, John Wiley.Google Scholar
Decleer, K., Devriese, H., Hofmans, K., Lock, K., Barenbrug, B. & Maes, D. (2000) Voorlopige atlas en "rode lijst" van de sprinkhanen en krekels van België (Insecta, Orthoptera). Werkgroep Saltabel i.s.m. I.N. en K.B.I.N., Rapport Instituut voor Natuurbehoud 10, Brussel.Google Scholar
Dennis, B., Desharnais, R.A., Cushing, J.M., Henson, S.M. & Constantino, R.F. (2001) Estimating chaos and complex dynamics in an insect population. Ecological Monographs 71, 277–303.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Downie, I.S., Coulson, J.C. & Butterfield, J.E.L. (1996) Distribution and dynamics of surface-dwelling spiders across a pasture-plantation ecotone. Ecography 19, 29–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fletcher, R.J. (2005) Multiple edge effects and their implications in fragmented landscapes. Journal of Animal Ecology 74, 342–352.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gottschalk, E., Griebeler, E.M., Waltert, M. & Mühlenberg, M. (2003) Population dynamics in the Grey Bush Cricket Platycleis albopunctata (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) – What causes interpopulation differences? Journal of Insect Conservation 7, 45–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grein, G. (2005) Rote Liste der in Niedersachsen und Bremen gefährdeten Heuschrecken mit Gesamtartenverzeichnis. Informationsdienst Naturschutz Niedersachsen 25, 1–20.Google Scholar
Gröning, J., Krause, S. & Hochkirch, A. (2007a) Habitat preferences of an endangered insect species, Cepero's ground-hopper (Tetrix ceperoi). Ecological Research 22, 767–773.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gröning, J., Lücke, N., Finger, A. & Hochkirch, A. (2007b) Reproductive interference in two ground-hopper species: Testing hypotheses of coexistence in the field. Oikos 116, 1449–1460.Google Scholar
Guirado, M., Pino, J. & Roda, F. (2006) Understorey plant species richness and composition in metropolitan forest archipelagos: effects of forest size, adjacent land use and distance to the edge. Global Ecology and Biogeography 15, 50–62.Google Scholar
Gyllenberg, G. (1974) A simulation model for testing the dynamics of a grasshopper population. Ecology 55, 645–650.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hochkirch, A., Witzenberger, K.A., Teerling, A. & Niemeyer, F. (2007a) Translocation of an endangered insect species, the field cricket (Gryllus campestris Linnaeus, 1758) in northern Germany. Biodiversity & Conservation 16, 3597–3607.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hochkirch, A., Gröning, J. & Krause, S. (2007b) Intersexual niche segregation in Cepero's Ground-hopper, Tetrix ceperoi. Evolutionary Ecology 21, 727–738.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Honnay, O., Verheyen, K. & Hermy, M. (2002) Permeability of ancient forest edges for weedy plant species invasion. Forest Ecology and Management 161, 109–122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ingrisch, S. (1983) Zum Einfluß der Feuchte auf die Schlupfrate und Entwicklungsdauer der Eier mitteleuropäischer Feldheuschrecken. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 30, 1–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ingrisch, S. & Köhler, G. (1998) Rote Liste der Geradflügler (Orthoptera s. l). pp. 252–254in Binot, M., Bless, R., Boye, P., Gruttke, H. & Pretscher, P. (Eds) Rote Liste gefährdeter Tiere Deutschlands. Münster, Landwirtschaftsverlag.Google Scholar
Kleukers, R., v. Nieukerken, E., Odé, B., Willemse, L. & v. Wingerden, W. (1997) De Sprinkhanen en Krekels van Nederland (Orthoptera). 416 pp. Nederlandse Fauna I. Leiden, KNNV Uitgeverij and EIS-Nederland.Google Scholar
Kotze, D.J. & Samways, M.J. (2001) No general edge effects for invertebrates at Afromontane forest/grassland ecotones. Biodiversity and Conservation 10, 443–466.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kuusaari, M., Nieminen, M. & Hanski, I. (1996) An experimental study of migration in the Glanville fritillary butterfly Melitaea cinxia. Journal of Animal Ecology 65, 791–801.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lay, D.W. (1938) How valuable are woodland clearings to birdlife? Wilson Bulletin 50, 254–256.Google Scholar
MacArthur, R.H. & Wilson, E.O. (1967) The Theory of Island Biogeography. 204 pp. Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Maes, D. & Bonte, D. (2006) Using distribution patterns of five threatened invertebrates in a highly fragmented dune landscape to develop a multispecies conservation approach. Biological Conservation 133, 490–499.Google Scholar
Magura, T., Tóthmérész, B. & Molnár, T. (2001) Forest edge and diversity: carabids along forest-grassland transects. Biodiversity and Conservation 10, 287–300.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marshall, J.A. & Haes, E.C.M. (1990) Grasshoppers and Allied Insects of Great Britain and Ireland. 254 pp. Colchester, Harley Books.Google Scholar
Matter, S.F. & Roland, J. (2002) An experimental examination of the effects of habitat quality on the dispersal and local abundance of the butterfly Parnassius smintheus. Ecological Entomology 27, 308–316.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meineke, T., Menge, K. & Grein, G. (1994) Der Steppengrashüpfer, Chorthippus vagans (Eversmann, 1848), (Insecta: Orthoptera) im und am Harz gefunden. Göttinger Naturkundliche Schriften 3, 45–54.Google Scholar
Mills, L.S. (1995) Edge effects and isolation: redbacked voles on forest remnants. Conservation Biology 9, 395–402.Google Scholar
Muller, S., Dutoit, T., Alard, D. & Grévilliot, F. (1998) Restoration and rehabilitation of species-rich grassland ecosystems in France: a review. Restoration Ecology 6, 94–101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oksanen, J., Kindt, R. & O'Hara, B. (2005) The vegan package. http://cc.oulu.fi/~jarioksa/softhelp/vegan.html.Google Scholar
Proess, R. & Meyer, M. (2003) Rote Liste der Heuschrecken Luxemburgs. Bulletin de la Société des Naturalistes Luxembourgeois 104, 57–66.Google Scholar
Pywell, R.F., Bullock, J.M., Hopkins, A., Walker, K.J., Sparks, T.H., Burke, M.J.W. & Peel, S. (2002) Restoration of species-rich grassland on arable land: assessing the limiting processes using a multi-site experiment. Journal of Applied Ecology 39, 294–309.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
R Development Core Team (2006) R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. Vienna, Austria. http://www.R-project.org.Google Scholar
Rauh, M. (2003) Steppengrashüpfer. pp. 282–284in Schlumprecht, H. & Waeber, G. (Eds) Die Heuschrecken in Bayern. Stuttgart, Ulmer Verlag.Google Scholar
Ries, L., Fletcher, R.J. Jr., Battin, J. & Sisk, T.D. (2004) Ecological responses to habitat edges: Mechanisms, models, and variability explained. Annual Reviews of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 35, 491–522.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Riksen, M., Ketner-Oostra, R., van Turnhout, C., Nijssen, M., Goossens, D., Jungerius, P.D. & Spaan, W. (2006) Will we lose the last active drift sands in Western Europe? The origin and development of the inland drift-sand ecotype in the Netherlands. Landscape Ecology 21, 431–447.Google Scholar
Seber, G.A.F. (1982) The Estimation of Animal Abundance and Related Parameters. 654 pp. Caldwell, Blackburn Press.Google Scholar
Theuerkauf, J. & Rouys, S. (2006) Do Orthoptera need human land use in Central Europe? The role of habitat patch size and linear corridors in the Białowieża Forest, Poland. Biodiversity and Conservation 15, 1497–1508.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thorens, P. & Nadig, A. (1997) Atlas de Distribution des Orthopteres de Suisse. Documenta Faunistica Helvetiae 16. Neuchâtel, CSCF.Google Scholar
Treiber, R. (1998) Chorthippus vagans. pp. 479–486in Detzel, P. (Ed.) Die Heuschrecken Baden-Württembergs. Stuttgart, Ulmer Verlag.Google Scholar
Venables, W.N. & Ripley, B.D. (2002) Modern Applied Statistics with S+. 496 pp. New York, Springer.Google Scholar
Watson, J.E.M., Whittaker, R.J. & Dawson, T.P. (2004) Habitat structure and proximity to forest edge affect the abundance and distribution of forest-dependent birds in tropical coastal forests of southeastern Madagascar. Biological Conservation 120, 311–327.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Webb, N.R. (1998) The traditional management of European heathlands. Journal of Applied Ecology 35, 987–990.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weidemann, H.-J. (1995) Tagfalter: Beobachten, Bestimmen. 660 pp. Augsburg, Naturbuch-Verlag.Google Scholar
Zerbe, S. (2002) Restoration of natural broad-leaved woodland in Central Europe on sites with coniferous forest plantations. Forest Ecology and Management 167, 27–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar