The Analysis of Collembolan Species' Abundance Distribution in Beech and Spruce Forests Habitats in Jastrebac Mountain (Serbia)

ABSTRACT

Collembola were sampled over a period of five consecutive years in beech and spruce forest on mountain Jastrebac (Serbia). The two identified Collembola communities were thought to respond to resource dynamics represented by litter supply and decomposition processes. The collembolan communities were dominated by two species: Folsomia quadrioculata and F. penicula. In both habitats phenological changes occur by a decrease in abundance of the dominant species followed by an increase in the abundance of accessory species. In the beech stands a large decrease in abundance of the dominant species with a moderate replacement was noted, whereas species replacement is greater relative to the decrease in abundance of the dominant species in spruce. In the analysis of community structure the ranked abundance curves were compared with corresponding theoretical curves of several S/N distributions, in order to identify the underlying models of community structure. The analysis of species' abundance curves showed a marked difference in summer compared to the spring and autumn periods. Comparing the observed distributions with different S/N models the “niche preemption” model and MacArthur's “broken stick” model were found to explain adequately the observed distributions.