title: Heavy metal concentrations in ground beetles, leaf litter, and soil of a forest ecosystem.
abstract: The objective of this study was to quantify the relationships between heavy metal concentrations in soil, leaf litter, and ground beetles at four sampling sites of a forest ecosystem in Medvednica Nature Park, Croatia. Ground beetles were sampled by pitfall trapping. Specimens were dry-ashed and soil and beetle samples digested with nitric acid. Lead, cadmium, copper, zinc, manganese, and iron were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometry. Statistically significant differences between plots were found for lead, cadmium, and iron in ground beetles. Correlations between ground beetles and soil or leaf litter were positive for lead and cadmium concentrations and negative for iron concentration. Differences in species metal concentrations were recorded. Higher concentrations of all studied metals were found in female beetles. However, a significant difference between sexes was found only for manganese. Significant differences in species metal concentrations were found for species that differ in feeding strategies and age based on breeding season and emergence of young adults.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. slucija@zg.biol.pmf.hr
authors.forename: Lucija Serić
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Jelaska
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blanusa
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Durbesić
authors.forename: Sven D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Jelaska
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000737:chemistry*; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012987:Soil; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D014197:Trees
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012987:Soil