Microlepidopterous biodiversity of polluted forests in three geographic regions

Andrei  Selikhovkin

St. Petersburg State Forest Technical Academy, Instituski per.5

Fires, felling, air pollution, storms, and other hazard factors of forest ecosystems can be main reasons of biodiversity changes. Mining and leave-rolls micromoths were used as a main object for analyze of the biodiversity changes in polluted forest ecosystems. Species composition and dynamics of dominant species density populations were studied in three polluted forest areas of Russia: Slantzi area (St. Petersburg region, Eastern Europe), Iskitim area (Novosibirsk region, West Siberia), and Bratsk area (Irkutsk region, East Siberia).

Totally 41 species of the microlepidopterous of deciduous trees were revealed. 11 species were collected in all areas: Arhips rosana L., Gypsonoma minutana Hb. Olethreutes arcuella Cl. O. captiosana Flkv. (Tortricidae); Anacampsis populella Ñl. (Gelechiidae); Phyllonorycter populifoliella Tr., Ph. apparella H.S., Ph. coryfoliella Hbn. (Gracillariidae); Leucoptera scitella L., Lyonetia clerkella L. (Lyonetiidae), Batrachedra praeangusta Hw. (Momphidae). 20 species were common for Iskitim and Slantzi areas (for common 11 species Epinotia cinereana Hw., E. nisella Cl., Gypsonoma sociana Hw. (Tortricidae); Pseidotelphusa paripunctella Thnbg., P. proximella Hbn., Ph. pastorella L. (Gracillariidae); Leucoptera susinella H.-S. (Lyonetiidae); Stigmella trimaculella Haworth. (Nepticulidae); Dafa formosella Den. et Schiff (Oecophoridae) are added); only 14 – for Bratsk and Iskitim (for 11 common species Cochylis nana Hw. (Tortricidae), Parornyx betulae Stt. (Gracillariidae), Lyonetia prunifoliella Hbn. (Lyonetiidae) are added; and correspondingly 11 – for Bratsk and Slantzi.

Changes of species availability with gradient of a pollution level have common tendencies in different geographic areas. The highest availability was observed in zones with middle level of pollution. Analyze of density population dynamic for dominant species showed correlation with the level of pollution also common for different regions. Populations in polluted areas had specific amplitude and phase of density population oscillations, especially in strong polluted areas. The most similar tendencies were observed in Iskitin and Slantzi areas that have very similar composition and level of pollution.