Impact of fires on the hymenopteran fauna in the center of European Russia forest ecosystems

Abstract

Forest fires have a significant impact on ecosystems. The impact of fires in the natural ecosystem of the Mordovia State Nature Reserve (European Russia) using beer traps was investigated. Insects were sampled from burned and unburned (control) plots and compared abundance and diversity (11 plots in total). For sampling, beer traps were used, which were placed on tripods at a height of 1.5 m above the soil surface. Beer with sugar was used as bait. Collections were made from April to October 2022 and 2023 after 7-16 days, when insect activity was highest. As a result of material processing, 3416 specimens from two infraorders, two suborders, and 11 families were examined. The studied plots differed in species diversity and abundance of Hymenoptera that were captured using beer traps. During two years of our research, representatives of two infraorders, two suborders, and 11 families were identified. In the first year after large-scale fires, representatives of only seven families were observed, whereas in the second year, 11 families were observed. The abundance of all Hymenoptera was also higher by 25.8% in the second year after fires. It was shown that different species of Vespidae responded differently to fires. The major recolonization of the burned plots occurs in the second year after the fires.