Agron. Sustain. Dev. 25 (2005) 473-479
DOI: 10.1051/agro:2005047

Typifying ecosystems by using green lacewing assemblages

Dominique Thierry^a, Bruno Deutsch^b, Mihaela Paulian^c, Johanna Villenave^d and Michel Canard<sup>e

a</sup>  Université Catholique de l'Ouest, Département des Sciences de la Vie et de la Terre, 44 rue Rabelais, 49000 Angers, France
^b  Université Catholique de l'Ouest, Institut de Mathématiques Appliquées, 3 place André Leroy, 49000 Angers, France
^c  Institutul de Cercetari pentru Protectia Plantelor, Bd. Ion Ionescu dela Brad 8, 77592 Bucuresti, Romania
^d  Institut National d'Horticulture, Unité de Protection des Plantes, 2 rue Le Nôtre, 49045 Angers Cedex 01, France
^e  (retired) 47 chemin Flou de Rious, 31400 Toulouse, France

(Accepted 20 May 2005)

Abstract - Green lacewing collection data from eleven various biotopes were used to typify different ecological landscapes. To make up the values recorded on single samples, we operated by the bootstrap method. A classifying process cluster scatterplot was then established to assess the proximity of the different habitats. Shannon's and Hurlbert's indices are highly sensitive parameters of the structure of assemblages. Their analysis results in a diagrammatic typological approach to the biotopes, allowing unambiguous comparisons between various chrysopid assemblages. It is possible to characterize the state of these polyvalent predators as a function of different abundance and diversity, and this state can be a standard of value of good ecological function in ecosystems. Concerning farming consultation and environmental conservation, such an approach is new and could be promising for future agricultural and landscape managers.

Key words: biodiversity / green lacewing / faunistic richness / diversity index / equitability index

Corresponding author: Dominique Thierry dominique.thierry@wanadoo.fr

© INRA, EDP Sciences 2005