Ecological Properties of Epigeal Invertebrate Communities in Green Areas in the City of Plovdiv. Part 1 - Urban City Parks
Journal Title: Bulletin of the Natural History Museum – Plovdiv - Year 2018, Vol 0, Issue
Abstract
Urban green areas are of great importance for preserving biodiversity in cities. There is a wide variety of invertebrates in cities including a specific group that crawls on the surface of the earth called „epigeal“ invertebrates. The current study aims to characterize and compare the epigeal invertebrates communities in three urban parks on the territory of the city of Plovdiv („Parashutna Kula“ Park, „Lauta” Park and „Loven park” Park), based on the urban-to-rural gradient paradygm. „Lauta“ Park differs the most from the other two parks in terms of the measured abiotic factors (air and soil temperature, soil moisture and soil pH). The predominant tree and shrub vegetation in the three studied parks is mainly decorative and ruderal, and „Loven park“ Park is the only place, where most of the natural, autochthonous vegetation is still found. With the greatest number of individuals and with the highest species richness is the epigeal invertebrates community in „Loven park“ Park, followed by „Parashutna kula“ Park, and the lowest numbers and species richness, was recorded in „Lauta“ Park. In the three studied urban parks, Collembola and Hymenoptera, Formicidae predominate, while Aranea occupy significant share in „Loven park“ Park. In „Lauta“ Park the epigeal invertebrates community is characterized by the greatest diversityty, calculated using two diveristy indices, with the lowest share of random taxa in both the ecotone and the interior of the park compared to the other two parks. The surveyed epigeal invertebrates communities in the three urban parks do not follow the generally established dependence of declining the diversity from the periphery to the city center.
Authors and Affiliations
Ivelin Mollov, Peter Boyadzhiev, Bozhana Bozhimova
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP603308
- DOI -
- Views 77
- Downloads 0
The Chalcid Wasp Fauna (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Eurytomidae, Eupelmidae, Ormyridae and Torymidae) of the City of Plovdiv
The published data on Eurytomidae, Eupelmidae, Torymidae and Ormyridae families collected from territory of the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria was summarized. New records are herein presented as well. A total of 29 Eurytomids...
Psocoptera Records from Caves of Bulgaria
We give the results of a survey of six caves in various regions of Bulgaria, reportingthree troglophilous Psocoptera species. All barkly finds are new records to these caves:Lepinotus reticulatus (East Rhodopes Mts., Dup...
Regional Natural History Museum – Plovdiv
The current article presents the history of the Natural History Museum in Plovdiv from its creation to the fundamental renovation of the building and the exhibitions in the period 2013-2016.
First record of Aspius aspius Linnaeus, 1758 (Pisces: Cyprinidae) for the Sazliyka River’s Ichthyofauna
Eight specimens of a cyprinid fish (Cyprinidae) were captured in the lower course of Sazliyka River, Southern Bulgaria. The fish were captured in June and July 2018 with cast net in two sites near the town of Ga...
Urban Тardigrades from Plovdiv City and Some Ecological Remarks
There is insufficient data on urban tardigrade distribution, diversity and density. The present paper is based on preliminary data of an ongoing research of tardigrade diversity and ecology in Plovdiv region. Specimens f...