Early successional patterns of arthropod recolonization on reclaimed strip mines in southwestern Wyoming: ground-dwelling beetle fauna (coleoptera)

Journal Article · Sun Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1987 · Environ. Entomol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/16.1.168· OSTI ID:6794204

Parmenter, R R; MacMahon, J A

The ground-dwelling beetle assemblages of seven reclaimed surface coal mines and an undisturbed area of sagebrush steppe vegetation near Kemmerer, Wyo., were sampled in 1983 using 25 pitfall traps per site. The three oldest sites (1977-79) received no topsoil during reclamation; the other four sites (1980-83) had stored topsoil respread on them before revegetation. The beetle assemblages were characterized by means of data on species richness and diversity, species dominance curves, and trophic-group structure. The authors found that initial recolonization and dominance was achieved by species that were either rare in the adjacent native vegetation, or had immigrated from other disturbed sites. Species richness and diversity showed an increase during the first 3 yr following revegetation, but then declined over the next 3 yr. The magnitude of the observed species richness and diversity trends may have been influenced by the presence or absence of topsoil on the sites. The number of herbivorous beetle species was positively correlated with the number of plant species present on the sites. The trophic structure on reclaimed mine sites was dominated by omnivores, insect-carrion feeders, predators, and fungivores, whereas the undisturbed site's beetle fauna was dominated by omnivores, predators, and herbivores. It seemed that the most successful colonists were omnivores and scavenging species (that used seeds, weedy vegetation, and living and dead insects), and fungivores (that took advantage of fungi growing on dead organic matter in the respread topsoils). In view of the great dissimilarities that exist between undisturbed and reclaimed mine sites, even after 6 yr, the authors conclude that recovery of the mine lands will require a considerable length of time, and, due to the severity of the mining disturbance, may not ever yield a fauna and flora similar to those of the premining era.

• Research Organization: Utah State Univ., Logan
• OSTI ID: 6794204
• Journal Information: Environ. Entomol.; (United States), Journal Name: Environ. Entomol.; (United States) Vol. 16:1; ISSN EVETB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510500* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Site Resource & Use Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ANIMALS
ARTHROPODS
BEETLES
COLEOPTERA
ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION
ECOSYSTEMS
FEDERAL REGION VIII
INSECTS
INVERTEBRATES
LAND RECLAMATION
MINING
NORTH AMERICA
POPULATIONS
REVEGETATION
SPECIES DIVERSITY
SPOIL BANKS
SURFACE MINING
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
USA
WYOMING