The Effects of Fire on Surface-Dwelling Arthropod Communities in Pinus brutia Forests of Southwestern Anatolia

Abstract

This study aimed at exploring the response of surface-active arthropod communities to fire and fire-induced habitat alteration in a Pinus brutia Ten. forests in southwestern Turkey. Samplings were carried on in twelve study sites by using 36 pitfall traps in burned and unburned sites during two months immediately after fire occurred in August 2004. According to results obtained in two sampling terms, the abundances of all arthropods, insects and ants were higher on the burned site than on the unburned site. The other community parameters such as species richness, diversity and evenness were found higher in the burned site for insects and ants. Diptera that was represented mostly by one species, the syrphid fly Eumerus strigatus (Fallen, 1817) was caught in great abundance in the burned site. Colonizing of Orthotomicus erosus (Wollaston, 1857) at burned site in two months after fire increased abundance of bark beetles in the burned site rapidly. Consequently, it was not determined destructive effects of fire on abundance of arthropods in spite there were changes in community structures depending on rapid habitat alterations.