Ecology Of Forest Insects

1. Species and Populations of Insects and their Basic Associations with the Forest Environment.- 2. Influence of Abiotic Environmental Factors On Forest Insects.- Influence of solar radiation and atmospheric factors.- 2.1. Light.- 2.1.1. Influence of light on bchaviour.- 2.1.2. Influence of light on reproduction and development.- 2.2. Temperature.- 2.2.1. Regulation of body temperature.- 2.2.2. Thermal tolerance.- 2.2.3. Influence of temperature on activity and orientation.- 2.2.4. Influence of infra-red radiation on behaviour and orientation.- 2.2.5. Dependence of growth and development on temperature.- 2.3. Humidity and precipitation.- 2.3.1. Water in the insect body.- 2.3.2. Tolerance and adaptation.- 2.3.3. Activity, orientation and preference phenomena.- 2.3.4. Influence of humidity on reproduction and development.- 2.3.5. Precipitation.- 2.4. Air, atmospheric pressure and wind.- 2.5. Integrated action of climatic factors.- 2.5.1. Climograms, bioclimograms and hygrothermic coefficient.- 2.5.2. Influence of the forest mesoclimate on the distribution of insects.- Influence of soil factors on insects.- 2.6. General characteristics of soil insects.- 2.7. Insects and physical soil properties.- 2.7.1. Structure and mechanical composition.- 2.7.2. Humidity.- 2.7.3. Thermal conditions.- 2.7.4. Light.- 2.7.5. Soil air.- 2.7.6. Humus content.- 2.8. Influence of chemical properties of the soil.- 3. The Role of Nutrient Factors in the Life of Forest Insects.- 3.1. General characteristics of trophic relationships.- 3.2. Nutrient relationships of phytophages.- 3.2.1. Nutrient specialization.- 3.2.2. Selection of the host plant.- 3.2.3. Food value.- 3.2.4. Influence of food on reproduction and development.- 3.2.5. Influence of the physiological condition of the host plant.- 3.3. Feeding relationships among zoophages.- 3.3.1. Predators.- 3.3.2. Parasites.- 3.4. Characteristics of saprophages.- 4. Intraspecific Relationships of Forest Insects.- Integration of populations.- 4.1. Sexual life and protection of progeny.- 4.2. Collective life of insects.- Structure and function of the population.- 4.3. Abundance and density.- 4.4. Spatial distribution.- 4.5. Age distribution.- 4.6. Sex structure.- 4.7. Reproductive potential.- 4.8. Mortality.- Population dynamics.- 4.9. Level of abundance and its variation.- 4.10. Coefficient r and curves of population increase.- 4.10.1. Oscillations.- 4.10.2. Fluctuations and outbreaks (gradations).- 4.11. Phasic character and spread of outbreaks (gradations).- 5. Causes and Course of Changes in the Abundance Of Insect Populations.- Development of opinions on the causes of changes in abundance.- 5.1. Concepts not accepting the notion of automatic regulation of the abundance of populations.- 5.1.1. Concept of the decisive importance of one factor.- 5.1.2. Concept of the complex influence of the components of the ecosystem.- 5.2. Concepts based on the automatic regulation of population size.- 5.2.1. Concepts of self-regulation with respect to the decisive role of parasites and of overcrowding.- 5.2.2. Concept of the automatic regulation of abundance.- 5.2.3. Facts justifying the concept of the automatic regulation of abundance.- 5.2.4. Milne’s integrating concept.- 5.2.5. Concept based on the influence of genetic mechanisms.- 5.2.6. Concept of modifying and regulating factors.- Factors determining the course of changes in abundance.- 5.3. Undirectionally acting (random) factors.- 5.3.1. Direct influence of meteorological conditions.- 5.3.2. Indirect influence of meteorological conditions.- 5.3.3. Cyclic character of culmination of outbreak phenomena.- 5.4. Factors acting (regulating) according to the rule of feedback.- 5.4.1. Types of mechanisms regulating abundance.- 5.4.2. Intraspecific regulating mechanisms.- 5.4.3. Biocenotic regulating mechanisms.- 5.4.4. Mechanism of genetic feedback.- 6. Insects in Forest Biocenoses.- Entomocenoses, associations and communities of insects.- 6.1. Descriptive characteristics of associations and communities.- 6.1.1. Characteristics of quantitative proportions.- 6.1.2. Characteristics of the structure of associations and communities.- 6.2. Methods of comparison of cenos:s and communities.- Insects in the spatial and time structure of forest biocenoses.- 6.3. Spatial differentiation.- 6.3.1. Insect communities in various forest habitat types.- 6.3.2. Insects in the layers structure of the forest.- 6.4. Differentiation in time.- 6.4.1. Diurnal rhythm of activity.- 6.4.2. Seasonal rhythm of activity.- 6.4.3. Changes in insect communities occurring with the growth of forest stands.- Insects in the functioning of forest biocenoses.- 6.5. Biotic associations of forest insects.- 6.6. Contribution of insects to the flow of energy in the ecosystem.- 6.6.1. Energy budget of insects.- 6.6.2. The role of phytophagous insects in the productivity of forest ecosystems.- 6.6.3. The role of saprophagous soil insects.- 6.7. Succession of insect associations and communities.- 7. Characteristics of the Forest Entomofauna Of Poland.- 7.1. History of the forest entomofauna of Poland.- 7.2. Problems of regionalization.- 7.3. Characteristics of the entomofauna of Polish forests.- 8. Human Influence on Forest Entomocenoses.- General regularities of the processes of anthropization of the forest entomofauna.- Influence of antropogenous factors not associated with forest management on the entomocenosis.- 8.1. Changes in soil water conditions.- 8.2. Destruction of the forest herb layer and litter.- 8.3. Forest fires.- 8.4. Industrial air pollution and its accumulation in the soil.- 8.5. Mining.- Influence of forest management on the entomofauna.- 8.6. Specific composition of the forest stand.- 8.7. Cutting systems and improvement fellings.- 8.8. Mechanical soil cultivation.- 8.9. Fertilization and lupin manuring of forest soils.- 9. Problems of the Development of Entomocenoses Under Reforestation Conditions.- 9.1. Waste-heaps and dumping grounds.- 9.2. Areas poisoned by industrial air pollution.- 9.3. Dune areas.- 9.4. Afforested old farmland.- References.- Index of latin names of Invertebrata.