Ground beetles (Carabidae) in urban habitats of Kaluga city (Russia)

Study Extent

Kaluga city is situated in the west of European Russia, in its middle (Non-Chernozem) zone) on the Oka River 150 kilometres (93 mi) southwest of Moscow. The area of the city is 168.8 km2. Prevailed landscapes of Kaluga city are flat undulating moraine plains shaped by Moscow stage of Dnieper glaciation. The main type of sedimentary is mantle postglacial loams. Watersheds are flat and poor-drainage. Highest point reaches 235 m above sea level. Along the Oka River there is high-dissected erosional plain. Minimal height above sea level is 116-120 m. Regard vegetation zonation, the area belong to subzone of spruce-broadleaved forests, spruce-oak vegetation district. Kaluga is a typical central-Russian provincial centre. Urban landscapes of Kaluga city have more or less smoothly developing since XVI century. Modern city area has a striped pattern of residential and industrial buildings, and agricultural lands, because historically residential areas were planned near factories and other industrial objects. The beetles were sampled in all kinds of habitats which are representative to urban area: broadleaved decidious forests, small anthropogenic woodlands and lines of trees, gardens, lawns, wastelands and protected belts dominated by grasses and forbs. Pine forests and birch forests were singular. We surveyed mainly plots surrounded and isolated by buildings and roads. Traps were exposed since April or May to October or November. There are year-to-year data for some habitats.

Sampling

The beetles were caught by soil pitfall traps (0.5 L plastic cups with a mouth 85 mm in diameter filled to a third with 4% formalin solution). In each habitat, depending on its size and microhabitat diversity, usually 10–30 traps were set. The sampling of the material was carried out usuaally every two weeks or ten days (in some cases this period was longer).

Method steps

1. 1. Sample plots were choosen in different kinds of urban habitats. 2. The beetles were sampled by pitfall traps. 3. The beetles were identified and counted. 4. This dataset includes raw data - the number of individuals sampled during between two sampling. Relative abundance in units of ind. / 100 trap days were calculated as well.

1. Carabidae
   common name: ground beetles rank: family

European part of Russia, Kaluga oblast, Kaluga urban district