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Institute
BTU
Käfer - Kapitel 5.1
(2015)
Mollusken - Kapitel 5.7
(2015)
Kadaver - Kapitel 6.3
(2015)
On carrion-associated beetles in the Sonian Forest (Belgium): observations on five deer carcasses
(2015)
Carrion is an important element of temperate ecosystems, although far less studied than dead and decaying wood. In order to avoid competition, insects need to detect and colonize ephemeral resources like carrion quickly. The knowledge of this colonization is an important tool in forensic entomology. Hence, species identification is a most crucial factor. Among insects, most studies have concentrated on flies (Diptera), whereas beetles (Coleoptera) were neglected for a long time. Beetles, however, have forensic applications – they are part of the entomofaunal colonization of a carcass – and therefore
recently more extensive research on forensic application of beetle data has been done. Beetle families with significance to forensic entomology are Silphidae, Staphylinidae, Histeridae, Trogidae, Dermestidae, Cleridae, Nitidulidae and Carabidae. This study documents the presence of beetles associated with decaying carcasses of deer in the Sonian Forest, Belgium. A total of 271 specimens of Coleoptera belonging to twenty-five species in six families was recorded. The number of species and
specimens increased from the fresh stage to the bloated stage and active decay, to drop back down at the dry/remains stage. A discussion is given about some interesting collected species and families.
Carcass decomposition causes substantial changes in the humidity and chemistry of adjacent soil. Its potential effect on Enchytraeidae (Annelida: Clitellata) has, hitherto, not been studied. This pilot study on the effect of a large vertebrate carcass on enchytraeids was conducted in temperate grassland with sandy soil close to Cottbus (Germany). Soil cores for enchytraeid
extraction were taken in June 2013 along four transects of 2.5 m length from the original centre of the carcass. By that time the carcass, exposed in September 2012, had almost entirely decomposed. Soil had been sampled along the transects in February and May 2013 for measurement of chemical characteristics. Enchytraeids were extracted by the wet funnel method (without heating) and identified alive to species. In total, 715 individuals and 8 species were recorded (including Fridericia brunensis, a species known from very few sites). Abundance means had a high variance, and apparent differences were not statistically
significant. However, total abundance showed a distinct trend of increase with increasing distance from the carcass site, mostly due to high abundance and dominance of Enchytronia parva. Positive correlation with distance from the carcass was significant for enchytraeids as a group, E. parva and Fridericia spp. Enchytraeids in total and all species or genera tested except Enchytraeus spp.
(predominantly E. buchholzi s.l.) had a negative correlation with conductivity. The latter, although not abundant, showed a clear peak at 0.5 m and had a positive correlation with soil pH. Further significant correlations were found between species or genera and pH, phosphate and humus content. In difference to some springtails, enchytraeids at the study site seemed to avoid the vicinity of carcasses, possibly due to high conductivity, ammonium and phosphate ion concentrations and pH of the affected soil. E. buchholzi, an opportunistic, stress-tolerant r-strategist, might be an exception.
Totholz und Tierkadaver stellen einen eigenen Lebensraum für teils hochgradig spezialisierte Arten und Lebensgemeinschaften dar. Während der Lebensraum Totholz als so gut erforscht gilt, dass detaillierte Managementvorgaben zum Erhalt der Biodiversität gegeben werden können, sind große Tierkadaver mit ihren Lebensgemeinschaften noch weitgehend unbekannt. Bei beiden Ressourcen haben die Stärke des Totholzes bzw. die Größe des Kadavers wie auch die Größe von Stilllegungsflächen im Wald, in denen Totholz akkumulieren kann, erheblichen Einfluss auf die Lebensgemeinschaft. Obligat nekrophage Wirbeltiere sind in Deutschland ausgestorben und €fakultative Aasfresser nutzen Kadaver opportunistisch vor allem zu Zeiten erhöhten Nahrungsbedarfs oder bei Ausfall der regulären Nahrung. Unter den Insekten finden sich noch streng nekrophage Arten, aber selbst sonst phytophage Arten nutzen Kadaver opportunistisch.
In June 2009 a badger carcass was exposed on the former Soviet military training area of Lieberose in Brandenburg, Germany. Two months later, soil samples were taken on the former carcass site by a cross-shaped sampling design including 61 samples. Parameters tested were pH, water content, organic matter content, NO3–, NH4+, PO43– and conductivity. During a second sampling campaign in June 2010, the same parameters were tested again as well as collembolans. One year after decomposition, NO3– and PO43– was still significantly increased, whereas NH4+, conductivity and water showed a significant increase only in the first sampling campaign. Organic matter content and pH showed no significant changes. 7,606 collembolan individuals belonging to 13 species were extracted. 94.6% were.