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Animals 2012, 2(4), 564-590; doi:10.3390/ani2040564 (doi registration under processing)

Review

¹ Institute of Zoology, Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Department IV, Becherweg 13, 55128 Mainz, Germany ² Department of Soil Zoology, Senckenberg Museum of Natural History G?rlitz, Edaphobase, P.O. Box 300154, 02806 G?rlitz, Germany

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 1 August 2012; in revised form: 13 September 2012 / Accepted: 25 September 2012 / Published: 18 October 2012

Simple Summary: This review summarizes adaptations and predispositions of different arthropod taxa (springtails, web spiders, millipedes and centipedes) to flood and drought conditions. The main focus sis directed to arthropod species, which are living in Middle European floodplain forests and wetlands, because of the fast change of flood and drought conditions in these habitats. Furthermore the effects of the predicted regional climate change like increasing aperiodic summer flooding and decreasing winter and spring floods are also discussed.

Abstract: Floodplain forests and wetlands are amongst the most diverse and species rich habitats on earth. Arthropods are a key group for the high diversity pattern of these landscapes, due to the fact that the change between flooding and drought causes in different life cycles and in a variety of adaptations in the different taxa. The floodplain forests and wetlands of Central Amazonia are well investigated and over the last 50 years many adaptations of several hexapod, myriapod and arachnid orders were described. In contrast to Amazonia the Middle European floodplains were less investigated concerning the adaptations of arthropods to flood and drought conditions. This review summarizes the adaptations and predispositions of springtails, web spiders, millipedes and centipedes to the changeable flood and drought conditions of Middle European floodplain forests and wetlands. Furthermore the impact of regional climate change predictions like increasing aperiodic summer floods and the decrease of typical winter and spring floods are discussed in this article.

Keywords: invertebrates; climate change; periodic flooding; aperiodic flooding; drought

MDPI and ACS Style

Marx, M.T.; Guhmann, P.; Decker, P. Adaptations and Predispositions of Different Middle European Arthropod Taxa (Collembola, Araneae, Chilopoda, Diplopoda) to Flooding and Drought Conditions. Animals 2012, 2, 564-590.

AMA Style

Marx M.T., Guhmann P., Decker P. Adaptations and Predispositions of Different Middle European Arthropod Taxa (Collembola, Araneae, Chilopoda, Diplopoda) to Flooding and Drought Conditions. Animals. 2012; 2(4):564-590.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Marx, Michael Thomas; Guhmann, Patrick; Decker, Peter. 2012. "Adaptations and Predispositions of Different Middle European Arthropod Taxa (Collembola, Araneae, Chilopoda, Diplopoda) to Flooding and Drought Conditions." Animals 2, no. 4: 564-590.

Source: http://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/2/4/564

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