Abstract:

The Zhalong wetland nature reserve (46°40'—47°20'N,123°59'—124°40'E), situated in the west of Heilongjiang Province of China, is the largest and the most important Grus japonensis wetland nature reserve in China, providing indispensable livelihood for the red-crowned crane as well as a temporary habitat for the migrating birds in severe danger such as Grus leucogeranus, Ciconia nigra, Cygnus cygnus, Anser albifrons and Ciconia boyciana. In this paper, the niche and competition among species of insect community in different habitat in Zhalong wetland were studied. The results showed that there were obvious niche overlaps and competitions in different species which used the same resources. Space niche breadth index of main groups were similar, the same as time niche breadth index. Niche similarity coefficient of insect community indicated that the difference between each group was not big. Spider groups were important regulators in the Zhalong wetland insect ecological system. But Orthoptera and Coleoptera,Odonata group space niches were not significantly overlapped. Spider groups mainly affected Orthoptera, but hardly affected other groups of predatory. This study indicates that some measures should be implemented in the habitat when the number of Orthoptera individual is very big to maintain a balance relationship between insect groups.

Key words: insect community, space niche, time niche, trophic niche, Zhalong wetland