Trophic structure of amphibian and reptile communities in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems of Belarus

Current issue: Volume 20, No. 2 (2020)

TROPHIC STRUCTURE OF AMPHIBIAN AND REPTILE COMMUNITIES IN TERRESTRIAL AND AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS OF BELARUS

Sergey M. Drobenkov

Drobenkov S. M. 2020. Trophic structure of amphibian and reptile communities in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems of Belarus. Acta Biol. Univ. Daugavp., 20 (2): 163 – 172.

Abstract
In the article, data on the dietary habits, food relations and trophic structure of amphibian and reptile communities in the ecosystems of Belarus are analyzed. The study has revealed that natural herpetofaunal communities emerging and functioning in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems include several different groups of species located at 7 trophic levels:detritophages, phytophages, and consumers of 1-5. In the structure of herpetocomplexes four mayor trophical and functional groups (guilds) are clearly distinguished, specialized in diets and habitats: detritus-phytophages of aquatic ecosystems, consumers of zoobenthos, entomophages of land ecosystems, and terrestrial predators of higher (4-5) levels. Guilds form stable «elementary units» of larger supraspecific associations of the food web of ecosystems.
The trophic structure of amphibian and reptile communities is realized in two main options of organization corresponding to the main types of ecosystems (biocycles): terrestrial and aquatic. The transformation of organic matter and energy along trophic chains through the link of reptiles is most intense in terrestrial ecosystems, amphibians – equally in terrestrial and aquatic. The trophic structure of communities of the researched vertebrate groups, which includes differ functionally blocks, diverse trophic niches of species, groups of similar species that compete for food resources, as well as predator-prey relationships, is characterized by high complexity and a certain order of organization.

Key words: Amphibians, reptiles, community, nutrition, food interspecies relations, trophic structure, Belarus.

Sergey M. Drobenkov. Ecological Centre on Biological Resources of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, ul. Akademicheskaya, 27, 220072, Minsk, Republic of Belarus, E-mail: bel_gerpetology@rambler.ru