2026/01/01 by Kazushige Uemori, Takuo Hishi · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior #Insect and Pesticide Research #Plant and animal studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/1440-1703.70023
openalex publication_date 2026/01/01 · openalex created_date 2026/01/08 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
ABSTRACT Forest plantations can impact animal communities that depend on grazing and detritus food webs. In this study, we investigated this distinction by analyzing Aculeata bees and wasps that feed on different food resources in natural deciduous broadleaved forests and in two coniferous plantations, Cryptomeria japonica (“Sugi”) and Chamaecyparis obtusa (“Hinoki”), in a mountainous region of southern Kyushu, Japan. Analysis of samples collected with yellow pan traps revealed that Aculeata abundance and species richness significantly declined in plantations, and that the communities exhibited greater reliance on detritus‐based food chains. This suggests that detritus‐dependent species are more resilient to the conversion of natural forests to plantations than grazing‐dependent species. Moreover, species in plantations tended to have longer seasonal durations, indicating a lower seasonal segregation of food resources. They also tended to have larger body sizes, suggesting wider foraging ranges. We also observed differences between the Sugi and Hinoki plantations. Compared with Sugi plantations, Hinoki plantations were inhabited by only a few large species with wide feeding ranges. Overall, our findings highlight that land modification profoundly alters food web structure and aboveground Aculeata communities. Maintaining the detritus food web and enhancing the grazing food web could increase biodiversity in plantations.