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(44-03) Effects of metal pollution on the ground beetle Pterostichus oblongopunctatus F. (Carabidae) - linking population parameters and metabolic characteristic. Lagisz, Malgorzata*,1, Laskowski, Ryszard1, 1 Jagiellonian University, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Gronostajowa 3, Krakow, Poland ABSTRACT- Some organisms are able to maintain internal concentrations of particular chemicals at constant levels, which is probably energetically costly. However, almost no data on physiological costs of tolerance and relationships between bioenergetic indices and life-history traits are available. In this study we examined whether in metal-polluted areas some changes in energy budget of ground beetles may be observed and how they are linked with demographic parameters. We collected adult individuals of the carabid beetle P. oblongopunctatus at 5 Scots pine forests along a metal pollution gradient (prime pollutants Zn, Cd, Pb). After overwintering animals for 3 months in laboratory conditions, we measured CO2 production for 88 females. After the measurements, we paired the beetles. For each female we recorded body mass, number of eggs laid and hatching rate. Females did not differ significantly in body mass between sites. The number of eggs laid during the experiment was extremely variable (from 0 to 42) and did not depend on body mass. Females with higher metabolic rate produced significantly more eggs. Key words: carabidae, fecundity, respiration, metal |
