Diversity of lacewing assemblages (Neuropterida:Neuroptera) in different forest habitats and agricultural areas in the East Mediterranean area of Turkey

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to understand lacewing diversity patterns and the role of environmental factors in determining lacewing diversity in four habitat types: agricultural area (crops and orchards), pine forest (Pinus nigra Arnold and, Pinus brutia Ten), natural forest (cedar and willow-oak), and mixed forest (beech and oak).

Several diversity patterns were evaluated, including evenness and dominance, in the East Mediterranean area of Turkey by analyzing the abundance and species composition of lacewing assemblages using the Simpson and Shannon Diversity Indices. It was questioned whether these communities are structured according to environmental conditions such as altitude, temperature, rainfall, wind and humidity. This question was explored using generalized linear models (GLMs) and principal component analysis (PCA) to detect the effect of ecological parameters on the species composition of the lacewing assemblages. The data suggest that the species abundance, composition, and diversity of lacewings are affected by different forest and agricultural habitat types. Based on the results of the present study, it is recommended that the area of farmland under cultivation is decreased and the area of sustainably managed forest and agricultural land is increased in order to better protect lacewing diversity in the East Mediterranean area of Turkey.