Arthropod Succession and Diversity in Umbels of Cyperus papyrus L.
1981; Wiley; Volume: 13; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
10.2307/2387713
ISSN1744-7429
AutoresS. L. Sutton, Peter J. Hudson,
Tópico(s)Aquatic Ecosystems and Biodiversity
ResumoThe arthropods of umbels of papyrus (Cyperus papyrus L.) were collected from three sites in the Upemba Swamp region of the Zaire River. Abundance and diversity of arthropods increased with age of umbel and with the purity and vigor of the papyrus stand. Herbivores predominated in the early age classes, predators and detritivores in the later ones. Ants were numerically important and spiders both abundant and diverse. The papyrus ecosystem appears to combine very high primary productivity with very low diversity. PAPYRUS (Cyperus paipyrus) is the dominant plant species in the swamplands of central Africa. Thompson (1976) has discussed the general character and highly productive nature of papyrus, while drawing attention to its value as a natural resource. Papyrus swamp has great theoretical interest as an extremely simple ecosystem, and some economic potential, but is has been almost entirely neglected by zoologists. Weber (1942) listed a number of arthropod species collected from papyrus umbels, and Thornton (1957) analyzed the abundance and diversity of arthropods associated with papyrus umbels in the swamps of the upper Nile. Our study is essentially an extension of Thornton's work to the' Upemba Swamps of Zaire (Northern Shaba province).
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