Comparison of arthropod species richness in eastern and western Australian canopies: a contribution to the species number debate

Majer, J.D., Recher, H.F. and Postle, A.C. (1994) Comparison of arthropod species richness in eastern and western Australian canopies: a contribution to the species number debate. Memoirs - Queensland Museum, 36 (1). pp. 121-131.

Abstract

A three-year chemical knockdown study has been carried out in one western Australian forest, where jarrah Eucalyptus marginata and marri E. calophylla were sampled and one eastern Australian forest, where narrow-leaved ironbark E. crebra and grey box E. moluccana were sampled. Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera and Araneae were the richest in species. Nine hundred and seventy-seven species in 173 families were found in the eastern Australian forest, while 691 species in 176 families were found in the western Australian forest. Only 53% of families were common to both forests. Reasons for these patterns are briefly discussed and arthropod species richness in eucalypt communities is contrasted to that in other forests. The implications of forest and land management practices for the conservation of arthropod richness are presented.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publisher:	Queensland Museum
URI:	http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/27611

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