, 3rd Syrphidae Symposium Presentation given at the nd to 5th September, 2005 Leiden, The Netherlands, 2 Afforestation in Ireland • Target afforestation rate 20,000 ha/year Effects of afforestation on hoverfly • 70-80% conifers • Little ecological assessment outside (Diptera, Syrphidae) biodiversity designated sites • Effects of afforestation: Tom Gittings, Paul Giller and John O’Halloran BIOFOREST project, Department of Zoology – Loss of open space habitat Ecology and Plant Science, University – Gain of forest habitat College Cork, Lee Maltings, Prospect Row, Cork, Ireland BIOFOREST Project Hoverfly surveys Multidisciplinary research into of biodiversity of • Paired surveys of unplanted and 5 year old plantations (24 pairs of sites) commercial plantation forests in Ireland • Surveys of 3 forest types and 5 age- classes (38 sites) 3 sub-projects: • Surveys of open spaces in 12 forests • Biodiversity assessment of afforestation sites • Biodiversity across the forest cycle • Biodiversity of open spaces in mature forests Study sites Survey methods # # • Malaise trapping ## • 2-4 traps per site # # # # # • Sampling from mid-June - late August, early May - mid July, early May - late # ## # August # ## # ## # ### # ### # ## # # ## # • Macrohabitats recorded using the ## # # # # # # # # # # # ### # #### ## # Syrph The Net habitat classification ## ## # # # # # # # # ## • Selected microhabitat parameters # ## # # # # # # ## # # recorded # ## # # , 3rd Syrphidae Symposium Presentation given at the nd to 5th September, 2005 Leiden, The Netherlands, 2 1 , 3rd Syrphidae Symposium Presentation given at the nd to 5th September, 2005 Leiden, The Netherlands, 2 Scope of this talk Hoverfly fauna recorded • Biodiversity value of afforestation sites • 112 species recorded (63% of total Irish fauna) • 1 species new to Ireland: Lapposyrphus • Biodiversity value of spruce plantations: lapponicus – closed canopy • 4 threatened species: Parasyrphus nigritarsis, – open spaces Platycheirus amplus, Xanthandrus comtus, • Net effect on biodiversity Xylota florum • 7 vulnerable species: Chalcosyrphus nemorum, Chrysogaster virescens, Meligramma guttata, Orthonevra geniculata, Orthonevra nobilis, Platycheirus immarginatus Biodiversity in afforestation sites – Biodiversity in afforestation sites – humid grassland moor and blanket/cutover bog Mean: Mean: • 23.5 species/site (SD 5.3) • 15.6 species/site (SD 4.1) • 34% of Irish humid grassland fauna • 33% of Irish moor and blanket/cutover bog fauna Max: • 32 species Max: • 46% of Irish humid grassland fauna • 20 species • 43% of Irish moor and blanket/cutover bog fauna Biodiversity in afforestation sites Biodiversity of closed canopy – threatened species spruce plantations • Chrysogaster virescens, Epistrophe • 15 of 27 Irish spruce plantation species recorded nitidicollis, Meligramma guttata, • One species new to Ireland (Lapposyrphus Parasyrphus nigritarsis lapponicus) • Platycheirus amplus, Platycheirus • Most aphid-feeding conifer specialist species not immarginatus, Orthonevra geniculata, recorded Orthonevra nobilis • Species not recorded mainly scarce or rare: – Not recorded, mean 2.7 50 km squares (SE 2.6) – Recorded, mean 34 50 km squares (SE 6.4) , 3rd Syrphidae Symposium Presentation given at the nd to 5th September, 2005 Leiden, The Netherlands, 2 2 , 3rd Syrphidae Symposium Presentation given at the nd to 5th September, 2005 Leiden, The Netherlands, 2 Characteristics of aphid-feeding Forest specialists in mature conifer-associated hoverflies spruce plantations Recorded Not recorded 10 • Ubiquitous: Sphegina clunipes, Xylota jakutorum (wet sites) 8 • Widespread: Didea fasciata, Parasyrphus 6 punctulatus, Scaeva selenitica •Rare: Lapposyrphus lapponicus (plus 4 others?) Average coding/species(1 SE) 2 0 Canopy Understorey Shrub layer Herb layer <2 months 2-6 months 7-12 months >1 year Microhabitat Generation length Moor and blanket/cutover bog fauna: pre-afforestation bog/moor sites compared to open spaces in mature spruce Pre-afforestation Mature spruce plantations 14 12 10 8 6 4 Mean species richness/site (1SE) 2 0 Moor Blanket bog Cutover bog Improved grassland fauna: pre-afforestation improved Humid grassland fauna: pre-afforestation humid grassland grassland sites compared to open spaces in mature spruce sites compared to open spaces in mature spruce Pre-afforestation Mature spruce plantations Pre-afforestation Mature spruce plantations 14 14 12 12 10 10 8 8 6 6 4 4 Mean species richness/site (1SE) Mean species richness/site (1SE) 2 2 0 0 Coded 1 Coded > 1 Coded 1 Coded > 1 , 3rd Syrphidae Symposium Presentation given at the nd to 5th September, 2005 Leiden, The Netherlands, 2 3 , 3rd Syrphidae Symposium Presentation given at the nd to 5th September, 2005 Leiden, The Netherlands, 2 Indicator species: pre-afforestation Indicator species: pre-afforestation Bog/moor Improved grassland Humid grassland Bog/moor Improved grassland Humid grassland Cheilosia albitarsis √ √ Cheilosia albitarsis √ √ Cheilosia bergenstammi √ √ Cheilosia bergenstammi √ √ Cheilosia pagana Cheilosia pagana Eristalis lineata √ Eristalis lineata √ Eumerus strigatus √ Eumerus strigatus √ Eupeodes corollae √ Eupeodes corollae √ Eupeodes latifasciatus Eupeodes latifasciatus √ √ √ √ Lejogaster metallina √ Lejogaster metallina √ Neoascia podagrica √ Neoascia podagrica √ Platycheirus angustatus √ Platycheirus angustatus √ Platycheirus peltatus √ Platycheirus peltatus √ Platycheirus rosarum √ Platycheirus rosarum √ Platycheirus scambus √ √ Platycheirus scambus √ √ Sphaerophoria interrupta √ Sphaerophoria interrupta √ Syritta pipiens √ Syritta pipiens √ Trichopsomyia flavitarsis √ √ Trichopsomyia flavitarsis √ √ Volucella bombylans √ Volucella bombylans √ Indicator species: open spaces Conclusions in mature spruce • Afforestation sites Bog/moor Improved grassland Humid grassland – Typical sites do not have high hoverfly biodiversity Chrysotoxum fasciatum – But may be important for maintaining local (√) √ biodiversity Episyrphus balteatus √ √ – But rare species can occur Eristalis interrupta √ √ • Mature plantations support few forest specialists Sericomyia lappona (√) √ • Open spaces in mature plantations: Syrphus ribesii √ – Important role in maintaining hoverfly biodiversity – But do not support full range of pre-afforestation fauna Project Funding National Council for Forest Research and Development Environmental Protection Agency National Development Plan Project Website Acknowledgements http://bioforest.ucc.ie BIOFOREST colleagues, BIOFOREST steering group, Coillte and other landowners, Forest Service, Martin Speight , 3rd Syrphidae Symposium Presentation given at the nd to 5th September, 2005 Leiden, The Netherlands, 2 4.