0000000000158389
AUTHOR
Elsi ÖVermark
The importance of novel ecosystems for biodiversity : a study of ground beetles (Carabidae) on afforested fields
Metsien hävittäminen, maanviljely ja muut ympäristöä muokkaavat toimet muuttavat ekosysteemejä kasvavissa määrin. Tämän seurauksena syntyy poikkeuksellisia, ihmisen toiminnasta peräisin olevia ekosysteemejä. Näiden uusekosysteemien merkitys monimuotoisuudelle kasvaa lähitulevaisuudessa kun ihmisen vaikutus Maahan lisääntyy. Metsitetyt pellot voidaan monessa tapauksessa lukea uusekosysteemeihin: lannoituksella on pitkäaikaisia vaikutuksia maaperän fysikaalisiin ominaisuuksiin ja ravinteiden määrä on metsitetyillä pelloilla suurempi kuin tavallisissa metsissä. Kasvillisuuden sukkession tarkkaa lopputulosta ei vielä tiedetä. Metsitetyt pellot käsittävät 300 000 hehtaaria Suomen pinta-alasta ja…
Variation in male fertility in a polymorphic moth, Parasemia plantaginis
The maintenance of multiple morphs in warning signals is enigmatic because directional selection through predator avoidance should lead to the rapid loss of such variation. Opposing natural and sexual selection is a good candidate driving the maintenance of multiple male morphs but it also includes another enigma: when warning signal efficiency differs between male morphs, why would females choose a phenotype with lower survival? We tested the hypothesis that indirect responses to selection on correlated characters through sexual selection may substantially shape the evolution of male coloration. If male phenotypes differ in their fertilization ability, female choice against the best surviv…
Tree species influences diversity of ground-dwelling insects in afforested fields
Abstract Impaired natural ecosystems, such as agricultural lands, are restored toward original or other target stage. Because the long agricultural history has changed the physical, chemical and biological features of the soil, afforested fields can harbor novel species assemblages and interactions. Our overall aim was to quantify the diversity of ground beetles and ants in early successional afforested fields. In a large scale field experiment, we compared plots that had been afforested 25 years ago by planting monocultures of birch, pine or spruce trees. A total of 4080 carabid individuals representing 41 species, and 131,933 ant individuals representing 15 species were recorded. Both the…