1. Microhabitat use and co-occurrence patterns of Rosalia alpina and Morimus asper funereus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in an old-growth beech forest, Triglav National Park, SloveniaJure Jugovic, Ana Kuhelj, Nika Pogorelec, Martina Lužnik, 2026, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: Saproxylic beetles are among the most important forest invertebrates associated with dead and decaying wood, yet many species are threatened by the loss of old-growth forest structures. We investigated the microhabitat use, demography and dispersal of two saproxylic longhorn beetles, Rosalia alpina (Linnaeus 1758) and Morimus asper funereus Mulsant 1863, in a system of 12 habitat patches within a forest reserve in Triglav National Park, Slovenia. We examined 30 potentially suitable trees and marked 68 individuals of M. a. funereus and 37 individuals of R. alpina. Generalised linear mixed models showed contrasting habitat preferences between the two species. M. a. funereus strongly preferred standing, dying beech (Fagus sylvatica) trees with large diameters, whereas R. alpina showed no signifi cant preference for any studied tree category and displayed a patchy distribu- tion. These patterns suggest ecological niche differentiation and possible resource partitioning between the species. The best-fi t POPAN open population model (φtlin ptlin btlin+tlin2) estimated the population size of M. a. funereus at 144 individuals (95% confi dence interval 88–199), with high but gradually declining survival and peak recruitment in early August. For R. alpina, a population size estimate was not possible due to sparse recaptures; however, an extensive area of contiguous beech forest near the study area extends the suitable habitat for both species. M. a. funereus made predominantly short-distance movements (maximum 34 m), whereas R. alpina undertook less frequent but substantially longer movements (maximum 457 m), indicating greater dispersal ability. Our results highlight the importance of structurally diverse old beech forests with abundant dead and dying trees for the persistence of both species and suggest that differences in habitat use and mobility may reduce direct competition in sympatry.
Ključne besede: saproxylic beetles, habitat, demography, mark-release-recapture, forest reserve
Objavljeno v RUP: 16.09.2026; Ogledov: 236; Prenosov: 6
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2. Spatial distribution of Ixodes ricinus in forest habitats : a comparative study of the northern and southern slopes of Mount Slavnik, SloveniaJure Jugovic, Alenka Babič, Ana Kuhelj, Vladimir Ivović, 2025, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: While previous studies have examined the elevational limits of Ixodes ricinus in Central Europe, this study is the first to investigate the influence of slope orientation on tick distribution in Slovenia. Our results provide new insights into how two important microclimatic factors, temperature and humidity, vary between the northern and south- ern slopes, and how these differences affect the abundance of I. ricinus, a factor that has not been studied in this region before. We found that nymph density was highest on the southern slope at intermediate elevations (720 m) and increased with temperature. In contrast, fewer adult ticks were found on the southern slope compared to the northern slope, most of them at 720 m elevations. The significantly higher abundance of adult ticks on the northern slope is probably related to the cooler temperatures, higher relative humidity, denser ground vegetation and greater availability of hosts such as roe deer. Although these results are regionally specific, they contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the ecological factors influencing the distribution of I. ricinus in Central Europe.
Ključne besede: tick, elevational distribution, slope orientation, temperature, relative humidity
Objavljeno v RUP: 05.08.2025; Ogledov: 1335; Prenosov: 14
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