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Aerial dispersal of invertebrates over a high-Arctic glacier foreland: Midtre Lovénbreen, Svalbard

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Abstract

Aerial dispersal of the invertebrate community was studied at seven sites along a chronosequence across the proglacial region of a retreating high-Arctic glacier, Midtre Lovénbreen, Svalbard, Norway. Invertebrates were sampled using water and sticky traps in successive summers. Large numbers of Diptera, Hymenoptera and Araneae were caught by both trap types and these groups were present at all sites, including the youngest and unvegetated site 1. Lower sticky traps (≤25 cm) caught >95% of individuals. Numbers of species tended to increase with site age. Total catch, however, often peaked at site 4 and then declined. Araneae were the exception, in which species number stabilised by site 2, but total catch increased from sites 1 to 7. Invertebrates rapidly reached newly exposed land surfaces. A few ballooning spiders were caught on upper sticky traps but evidence of wind dispersal by Collembola or mites was lacking.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Norwegian Meteorological Institute (DNMI) for supplying the meteorological data, and Rowley Snazel, Reijo Jussila and Peter Neerup Buhl for identifying Araneae and Hymenoptera. This research is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under agreement no. OPP-0002239 and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under agreement no. NA67RJ0147. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological and Earth Sciences, John Moores University, Byrom St, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK

    S. J. Coulson & I. D. Hodkinson

  2. NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Winfrith Technology Centre, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 8ZD, UK

    N. R. Webb

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  1. S. J. Coulson
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  2. I. D. Hodkinson
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  3. N. R. Webb
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Correspondence to I. D. Hodkinson.

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Coulson, S.J., Hodkinson, I.D. & Webb, N.R. Aerial dispersal of invertebrates over a high-Arctic glacier foreland: Midtre Lovénbreen, Svalbard. Polar Biol 26, 530–537 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-003-0516-x

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