Los Carabidae (insecta, coleóptera) de lagunas y embalses de Albacete

Resumen

We have studied the carabid assemblages in ponds and water bodies with varying salt content and of reservoirs as well, of the province of Albacete. A total of 218 species distributed into 27 tribes has been found. The localities have been grouped according to similarity índices (Jaccard and Czekanowsky), resulting that assemblages of salty water bodies are clearly different from those occupying fresh ponds and reservoirs. This finding suggest that water salt content is a main factor in determining fue assemblage composition and structure. In addition, the proportions of halobionts, halophiles and hygrophiles are a good empirical indicator of environmental conditions. The Mediterranean chorological type is the most frequent, although it is noticeable the high proportion of species belonging to type "wide distributional range" (Palearctic, etc.). It is postulated that this chorological type has properties of dispersal and colonisation power suitable for the wetland habitats included in the study. Finally, the biotic diversity of the studied water bodies is a valuable argument that should encourage a strong policy in favour of their conservation for the future