Chemical Elements in the System of Trophic Levels of Terraneous Ecosystems
V. S. Bezel1, E. A. Belskaya1, S. V. Mukhacheva1, K. P. Koutsenogii2, O. V. Chankina2
1 Institute of Ecology of Plants and Animals, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
2 Institute of Chemical Kinetics and Combustion, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
bezel@ipae.uran.ru, koutsen@ns.kinetics.nsc.ru
Keywords: environmental heterogeneity, biogeochemical food chains, trophic levels, invertebrates, mammals, phytophages, carnivores
Pages: 123-131
Abstract
Concentrations of vitally important (S, K, Ca, Fe) and highly toxic elements (Pb, Cd), heavy metals possessing moderate toxicity (Zn, Cu, Co, Mo, Ni, Cr, Mn), and low-toxic elements (Ti, Ba, Sr, Zr) in the model animal species belonging to different trophic levels of terraneous biocenoses were investigated. Background areas and the regions chemically polluted with metals were considered. We studied invertebrate phytophages (larvae of sawfly Arge sp.) and carnivores (terraneous beetles Pterostichus oblongopunctatus L.), as well as two small mammal species belonging to different taxonomic and trophic groups: phytophagous bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus Shreber) and insectivorous common shrew (Sorex caecutiens Laxmann). It was demonstrated that the distribution of the concentrations of chemical elements in living organisms is determined by their position in the trophic structure of natural biocenoses; thus the groups of primary producers, phytophages and carnivorous species are distinguished. Under environmental pollution, the character of distribution of the concentrations of chemical elements is determined by the specificity of mineral metabolism in animals as well as by their belonging to different taxonomic groups.
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