Unit:
Κατεύθυνση Οικολογία και Διαχείριση ΒιοποικιλότηταςLibrary of the School of Science
Supervisors info:
Professor Margarita Arianoutsou, Department of Ecology and Systematics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Professor Anastasios Legakis, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Professor Helen E Roy, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Original Title:
MONITORING INSECT DIVERSITY IN HABITATS INVADED BY ACACIA IN CYPRUS – IMPLEMENTATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CITIZEN SCIENCE/ ΠΑΡΑΚΟΛΟΥΘΗΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΕΝΤΟΜΟΠΑΝΙΔΑΣ ΣΕ ΕΝΔΙΑΙΤΗΜΑΤΑ ΣΤΑ ΟΠΟΙΑ ΕΧΕΙ ΕΙΣΒΑΛΛΕΙ Η ACACIA ΣΤΗΝ ΚΥΠΡΟ- ΑΝΑΠΤΥΞΗ ΤΗΣ ΠΕΡΙΒΑΛΛΟΝΤΙΚΗΣ ΠΟΛΙΤΟΤΗΤΑΣ
Translated title:
MONITORING INSECT DIVERSITY IN HABITATS INVADED BY ACACIA IN CYPRUS – IMPLEMENTATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CITIZEN SCIENCE
Summary:
This study aims at highlighting the importance of insect biodiversity and the services that insects offer. The study is assessing how different habitats affect the biodiversity of insects with different functional traits, by using traditional insect survey methods (pitfall trapping, pan trapping and beat sheet sampling) in the Ramsar wetland of Akrotiri in Cyprus. In addition, this study contributes towards the design and implementation of a citizen-science initiative for monitoring pollinators and other beneficial insects, the Pollinator Monitoring Scheme Kýpros (Poms-ký). Poms-ký will provide the scientific evidence base for assessing changes in Cyprus pollinators' populations (abundance and distribution) and communities (diversity and composition) and their interactions with native and non-native plants.
The results of this study show that native habitats have in general more positive impacts on insects’ diversity and abundance (pollinators, predators and other categories), compared to non-native habitats. Non-native plant species seem to have been integrated in the diets of generalist pollinators’ species. The abundance of solitary bees' species (pollinators’ specialists) was not significantly different between native and non-native plant species, but this might be the result of a low number of samples. In conclusion, it is necessary to protect and conserve the native habitats of Cyprus such as Thermo-mediterranean riparian galleries and Coastal lagoons, Sarcopoterium spinosum phrygana, arborescent matorral with Juniperus phoenicea and Mediterranean tall humid grasslands.
Main subject category:
Science
Keywords:
Biodiversity, pollinators, alien species, citizen science
Number of references:
119
