Structure of herpetobiont arthropod population in the overgrowth of coal industry dumps

The research presents the results of studying complexes of mesoherpetobiont arthropods on dumps of the Krasnobrodsky and the Kedrovsky coal mines (forest-steppe and forest zones of Kemerovo region), which are at different stages of succession. We carried out our investigations in May-August 2013-2016. The Kedrovsky coal mine is situated 25 km to the north of the regional center-Kemerovo, in the forest zone on the border with the northern forest steppe of the Kuznetsk depression and the north-western subtaiga of the Kuznetsk Alatau. The Krasnobrodsky coal mine is situated in the forest steppe zone of the central part of the Kuznetsk depression. In each section, we chose 3 model sites on dumps of different age. As control, we studied characteristic biotopes around the research area located in close proximity to dumps. Model sites of the Kedrovsky section are briefly designated Ked, the Krasnobrodsky coal mine - Krb (See Table 1). To collect material, we used soil traps (plastic glasses of 200 ml, with a diameter of the neck 70 mm). At each site, there were 10 traps which were examined every 7-10 days. As a fixing solution, we used acetic acid (10%). The dynamic density of arthropods was expressed in specimens /10 trap days. In total, more than 950 samples were processed, taking into account over 12 000 specimens. When characterizing mezoherpetobium of arthropods of model sites, we used the obtained structural and numerical indicators of separate groups of arthropods, the correlation analysis (Spearman's correlation). Data are presented in the form of charts and the model of reliable correlation relationship. We established that herpetobiont complexes include representatives of six classes of arthropods: Crustacea, Arachnida, Chilopoda, Diplopoda, Insecta-Entognatha and Insecta-Ectognatha (See Tables 1-2). Representatives of the class Insecta-Ectognatha, whose proportion is from 75.0 (the Kedrovsky section) to 84.2% (the Krasnobrodsky section) of the total collection of mesoherpetobionts on dumps dominate at all research sites. Arachnida form the second largest herbetobium group (See Figure 1). Arachnida appear on dumps of coal mines already at the initial stages of succession; in the following years a further increase in the number of Arachnida is observed. The dominant herpetobium group - insects - is represented by five orders of two classes (See Tables 3-4). The Insecta-Ectognatha prevail, accounting for 99.4% of all insect collections on both dumps and 94.3-96.6% - in the control zones. At all research sites, insects of orders Coleoptera and Hymenoptera prevail, accounting for 93.6 to 97.6% of the total insect collection on dumps of different coal mines (99.4-99.6% - in the control zone). The group Hymenoptera is only represented by one family - Formicidae. In total, in the explored territories 17 species of Formicidae belonging to 5 genera of 2 subfamilies were revealed. The order of coleoptera is represented by 10 families (See Table 5). Among Coleoptera on dumps of both mines representatives of the Carabidae and Staphylinidae families dominate (63.3% of the total collection of coleoptera on the Kedrovsky coal mine, 90.7% - the Krasnobrodsky). In total, 112 species of ground-beetles of 30 genera, 18 tribes and 11 subfamilies were revealed. The correlation analysis has shown that reliable relationship of a biocenosis age with all considered arthropod groups are revealed at research sites. Positive correlations are established with Arachnida, Myriapoda, Insecta-Entognatha and Insecta-Ectognatha. Negative correlation is only revealed for wood lice (Crustacea) whose dynamic density at certain sites of young dumps was several times higher than the data obtained for the sites with longer existence (See Figure 4). The article contains 4 Figures, 5 Tables, 27 References.

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