The grasshopper fauna of the national park almens

A total of 20 different species of locust were detected in the pastures examined between 2004 and 2006 (Table 6). The total number of determined individuals is 1374 specimens (960 Adults, 414 larvae). 325 animals (of which 293 larvae) could only be assigned to the genus Chorthippus or Tetrix, but no species, or in the case of Tetrix only with a question mark of a species, and were taken into account in the number of species per area/alm only if the species in question or no species of the genus were detected. The highest number of species was detected on the Niederscheibenalm with 15 species. It is followed by the high disk with 13 15 species and the Kölbalm with 13-14 species, with additional areas examined especially on the Kölblalm in 2004. Significantly lower numbers of species with 5 and 7 species were found on the areas of the Hüpflinger, Haselkar and Scheucheggalm examined in 2004. Of the abandoned alpine pastures, the Eggeralm is characterised by nine proven species. Structural diversity, location and exposure are likely to be responsible for the high number of species. On the other hand, only 1 and 2 species could be registered on the two north-exposed alpine pastures at the Zinödl (Wolfbauernhochalm and Ebnesangeralm), which were therefore not favoured by climatic conditions. Overall, the alpine pastures north of the Enns tend to have a higher number of species. And five species have been detected only north of the Enns on the alpine pastures studied: Chrysochraon dispar, Euthystira brachyptera, Leptophyes boscii, Psophus stridulus and Tetrix subulata. The total species numbers fluctuate very strongly between the individual alpine pastures. Among the most species-rich areas are well-shaded and structurally rich areas that meet the different habitat requirements of each species. Furthermore, the sea level also plays a decisive role for this warm-loving animal group (cf. Frieß & derbuch 2005). For example, the areas on the Niederscheibenalm (900 m) are among the most species-rich (especially fern and pure pasture), while the number of species on the Hochscheibenalm (1 190 m) is significantly lower on the strongly grazed and short-grassed areas (especially intensive pasture and deadwood pasture). However, different grazing intensities could also play a role here, which the study areas on the Hochscheibenalm are more grazed, so that vertical structures are largely absent and the number of species could be lower.