Taxonomic and functional patterns of arthropod succession after glacier retreat in the Dolomite Alps
Abstract
1. Glacier retreat is heavily affecting the distribution of cold-adapted ground-dwelling arthropods. The Dolomites are a mountain range in the Italian Alps possessing a unique lithology and residual small glaciers, which makes the study of biotic succession after glacier retreat especially interesting. However, no study has so far investigated and compared arthropod diversity across multiple glacier forelands in this area. 2. Here, we investigated key and understudied aspects of carabid beetles and spider succession after glacier retreat across four forelands in the Dolomites. 3. We showed that successional patterns varied across species. Variation in species abundances was mostly related to glacier identity, time since deglaciation and temperature. Environmental variation between forelands also explained differences in the composition of communities and the successional patterns of species. Indeed, species occurring across multiple forelands were detected at different stages of ecological succession according to the foreland. 4. Carabids and spiders showed distinct clusters in the functional space that were related to environmental variation. Species with large body size were associated with later successional stages. Taxonomic and functional changes of community
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BibTeX
@article{petri2026taxonomic,
title = {{Taxonomic and functional patterns of arthropod succession after glacier retreat in the Dolomite Alps}},
author = {Ivan Petri and Andrea Simoncini and Isabel Cantera and Barbara Valle and Marta Tognetti and Michael Bernasconi and Marina Serena Borgatti and Simone Giachello and Lisa Angelini and Gentile Francesco Ficetola and Silvio Marta and Paolo Pantini and Marco Caccianiga and Mauro Gobbi},
journal = {Insect conservation and diversity},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1111/icad.70113},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05786721v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Taxonomic and functional patterns of arthropod succession after glacier retreat in the Dolomite Alps
AU - Ivan Petri
AU - Andrea Simoncini
AU - Isabel Cantera
AU - Barbara Valle
AU - Marta Tognetti
AU - Michael Bernasconi
AU - Marina Serena Borgatti
AU - Simone Giachello
AU - Lisa Angelini
AU - Gentile Francesco Ficetola
AU - Silvio Marta
AU - Paolo Pantini
AU - Marco Caccianiga
AU - Mauro Gobbi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/06
JO - Insect conservation and diversity
DO - 10.1111/icad.70113
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05786721v1
AB - 1. Glacier retreat is heavily affecting the distribution of cold-adapted ground-dwelling arthropods. The Dolomites are a mountain range in the Italian Alps possessing a unique lithology and residual small glaciers, which makes the study of biotic succession after glacier retreat especially interesting. However, no study has so far investigated and compared arthropod diversity across multiple glacier forelands in this area. 2. Here, we investigated key and understudied aspects of carabid beetles and spider succession after glacier retreat across four forelands in the Dolomites. 3. We showed that successional patterns varied across species. Variation in species abundances was mostly related to glacier identity, time since deglaciation and temperature. Environmental variation between forelands also explained differences in the composition of communities and the successional patterns of species. Indeed, species occurring across multiple forelands were detected at different stages of ecological succession according to the foreland. 4. Carabids and spiders showed distinct clusters in the functional space that were related to environmental variation. Species with large body size were associated with later successional stages. Taxonomic and functional changes of community
SN - 1752-458X
ER -