The Ecology of Commanster
Ecological Relationships Among More Than 3900 Species


Commanster: A Small Village in the Belgian High Ardennes
Latitude: 50° 15' 20" N
Longitude: 5° 59' 58" E
Altitude: 490-590m, between the Meuse and Rhine River Basins
Average Temperature: 0°C (Winter), 15°C (Summer)
Average Annual Precipitation: 1400mm
Population: 60 Inhabitants
Pictures provide links showing ecological relationships.
CLICK ON THE PHOTOS!
(Except landscapes like those below, and a species on its homepage)

Important Caveat

Activity Zones

 Maps and Some History
 Village
 Farmland
 Le Grand Bois
 Natagora Reserves

Biotopes

  Forest
Alder-Birch-Willow (Wet)
Beech
Spruce
   Hedge Rows
   Meadows
   Wet Meadows
   Heath and Moorland
   Peat Bogs and Fens
   Streams
   Ponds
   Buildings
   Species Richness of Biotopes:
Biotope % of all Species Biotope % of all Species
Wet Forest 11% Heaths, Moors   5%
Beech Forest 17% Bogs, Fens   4%
Spruce Forest 26% Streams   2%
Hedge Rows 39% Ponds   6%
Meadows 24% Buildings   2%
Wet Meadows   9%  

Microhabitats

   Dung
   Dead Animals
   Plant Litter
   Fungi
   Dead Wood
   Temporary Pools
   Bare Ground
   Stones, Concrete

Environmental Threats

  Habitat Destruction
  Exotic Species
  Pollution
  Seven Proposals

Species Lists with Translations

 Animals (Kingdom Animalia) Vertebrates (Phylum Chordata) Mammals (Class Mammalia)
Birds (Class Aves)
Reptiles (Class Reptilia)
Amphibians (Class Amphibia)
Invertebrates Phylum Arthropoda Insects (Class Insecta) Beetles (Order Coleoptera)
Flies (Order Diptera)
Aphids, Bugs, and Hoppers (Order Hemiptera)
Ants, Bees, Sawflies, and Wasps (Order Hymenoptera) Butterflies and Moths (Order Lepidoptera)
Dragonflies (Order Odonata)
Crickets and Grasshoppers (Order Orthoptera)
Caddisflies (Order Trichoptera)
Earwigs, Cockroaches, Mayflies, Scorpionflies, Alderflies, Lacewings, Stoneflies, Barklice, Snakeflies, and Silverfish (Orders Dermaptera, Dictyoptera, Ephemeroptera, Mecoptera, Megaloptera, Neuroptera, Plecoptera, Psocoptera, Raphidioptera, Zygentoma)
Springtails (Class Entognatha)
Arachnids (Class Arachnida) Spiders and Harvestmen (Orders Araneae, Opiliones)
Mites and Ticks (Orders Ixodida, Mesostigmata, Oribatida, Prostigmata)
Centipedes, Millipedes, and Woodlices (Classes Chilopoda, Diplopoda, Malacostraca)
Phyllum Annelida Leeches and Worms (Classes Hirudinea, Oligochaeta)
Phyllum Mollusca Snails and Slugs (Class Gastropoda)
 Kingdom Fungi Phyllum Basidiomycota Agaricales
Boletales
Polyporales
Russulales
Other Basidiomycota
Phylla Ascomycota, Chytridiomycota, and Zygomycota
Lichens
 Kingdoms Protozoa and Straminipila Slime and Water Moulds  Viruses
 Plants (Kingdom Plantae) Algae
Phyla Bryophyta and Marchantiophyta Mosses and Liverworts Phyla Lycophyta and Lycophyta Clubmosses, Ferns, Horsetails Phylum Magnoliophyta Trees and Bushes
Herbaceous Plants
Grasses
Rushes, Sedges, and Reeds

Calendar

  Birds Daily Observations
Residents Singing
Migrant Arrivals
Spring Passage
Autumn Passage
Migrant Departures
  Insects Beetle Adults, Larvae
Fly Adults, Larvae
Aphid, Bug, and Hopper Adults, Nymphs
Ant, Bee, Sawfly, and Wasp Adults, Larvae
Butterfly Adults, Larvae and Moth Adults, Larvae
Dragonflies
Grasshopper and Cricket Adults, Nymphs
Caddisfly Adults, Larvae
Miscellaneous Insects Adults, Young
 Arachnids Spiders and Harvestmen
Mites and Ticks
 Mushrooms Agaricales
Boletales
Polyporales
Russulales
Other Basidiomycota
Ascomycota, Chytridiomycota, and Zygomycota
 Slime and Water Moulds
  Plants Trees and Bushes
Herbaceous Plants
Grasses
Rushes, Sedges, and Reeds

Animal Tales

Balades à Commanster

Weather Records

My Reference Library

   Identification
   Ecology
   Genetics and Evolution
   Biodiversity and Conservation
   Links

Equipment

Seasons

Spring  Mammals
  Birds Migrants
Arriving Nesters January-March, April-June Residents
  Insects Beetles March, April, May, June Flies March, April, May, June Aphids, Bugs, and Hoppers March - April, May, June Ants, Bees, Sawflies, and Wasps March, April, May, June Butterflies March - April, May, June Moths March - April, May, June Dragonflies
Grasshoppers and Crickets
Caddisflies
Miscellaneous Insects April, May - June
  Arachnids Spiders and Harvestmen March - April, May, June Mites and Ticks April, May - June   Tracks Mammals
Birds
  Mushrooms Agaricales April, May, June Boletales
Polyporales
Russulales
Other Basidiomycota
Ascomycota and Zygomycota March - April, May - June
 Slime and Water Moulds
  Plants Trees and Bushes April, May - June Flowers March - April, May, June Grasses April - May, June Rushes and Sedges

Summer  Mammals
  Birds Nests
Young
Residents
Migrants
  Insects Beetles June, July, August, September Flies June, July, August, September Aphids, Bugs, and Hoppers June, July, August, September Bees, Sawflies, and Wasps June, July, August, September Butterflies
Moths June, July, August - September Dragonflies
Grasshoppers and Crickets
Caddisflies
Miscellaneous Insects
 Arachnids Spiders and Harvestmen
Mites and Ticks
  Mushrooms Agaricales June, July, August, September Boletales June - July, August - September Polyporales June - July, August, September Russulales June, July, August, September Other Basidiomycota June - July, August, September Ascomycota, Chytridiomycota, and Zygomycota June - July, August, September  Slime and Water Moulds
  Plants Trees and Shrubs
Flowers June, July, August Grasses
Rushes

Autumn  Mammals
  Birds Migrants
Departures
Residents
  Insects Beetles
Flies September - October, November - December Bugs
Bees September, October - November Moths
Caddisflies
Miscellaneous Insects
 Spiders and Harvestmen
  Mushrooms Agaricales September, October, November-December Boletales
Polyporales
Russulales
Other Basidiomycota September-October, November-December Ascomycota and Zygomycota
 Slime Moulds

Winter  Mammals
  Birds Visitors
Residents
  Insects Beetles February, March Flies December - January, February, March Bugs
Bees and SawFlies
Butterflies and Moths
 Archnids Spiders February, March Mites and Ticks   Tracks Mammals
Birds
 Mushrooms Agaricales
Polyporales
Russulales
Other Basidiomycota
Ascomycota
  Plants Trees
Flowers
 Slime Moulds

For corrections, my thanks go to
M. Ackland, I. Altmann, I. Andrew, A.V. Antropov, E. Apol, M. Argent,
G. Barnikel, V. Belov, T. Brelstaff, N. Brand, F. Broekhuis, B. Büche, D. Burckhardt,
T. Cannon, J. Carr, E. Charles, D. Cheng, B. Clesse, J. Coldwell, M.R. Cruveillier,
T. de Graaf, N.J. Dek, M. Deketele, G. Dessi, C. Devillers, J. D'Haeseleer, P. Dioli, C. Duke, P. Domé, H. Dumas, C. Dussaix, M. Dybczak,
W. Ellis, H. Endt, B. Eversham, G. Eyssartier,
H.J. Falkenhahn, C. Farmer, T. R. Fasulo, T. Feuerer, C. Fischer, J. Fischer, R.Fisher, R. Flogaus-Faust, C. Fontaine, C. Fransen, J. Freund, L. Friman,
I. Gibson, J. Glime, A. Gminder, P. Goffart, A. Grabolle, J. Gruber,
M. Hamacher, K. Harris, M. Harvey, H. Hatlen, S. Heckscher, M.A. Hielkema, B. Higler, J. Hilszczanski, A. Hochkirch, Z. Hromádko, J. Hutchinson,
F. Jabot, M. Jacobs, E. Jansen, L. Janssen, F. Janssens,
J. Kahanpää, S. Kehl, F. Köhler, M. Kozlowski, J. Kramer, A. Kruithof, A. Kunze,
K. Lambeets, R. Lancaster, R. Labbé, F. Le Gall, A. Lompe
J. Maca, I. MacGowan, M. Manas, S. Manktelow, P. Mars, T. Meijer, J. Mergeay, D. Mitchell, M. Mitchell, P.G. Moniotte, J.P. Moutschen,
R. Nash, B. Nau, P. Nedelev, O. Nedved,
S. Obenauer,
A. Peeters, J. Peters, L. Petrini, B. Pettersson, K. Pfeiffer, C. Pilon, M. Pollet, G. Pozsgai, D. Prlia,
S. Rae, C. Raper, J.F. Rasmussen, S.A. Redhead, K. Reißmann, J.L. Renneson, V. Ricceri, T. Rickfelder, A. Rockefeller, B. Rulik,
J. Salokannel, G. San Martin, C. Schmid-Egger, L. Schott, K. Shevtsova, J. Skartveit, F. Solazzi, P. Spaans, T. Spaans, N.J. Stapper, M. Storey,
A. Taeger, S. Tapani, D. Tate, C. Thirion, K. Tomkovich, P. Trzcinski,
J.Valemberg, R. van den Broek, J.A. van Erkelens, K. Van Keer, J. van Rooy, H. Vanuytven, J.W. van Zuijlen, N.J. Vereecken, F. Vitali,
C.L. Wagner, P. Wahlens, G. Weber, E. Weme, M. Wilcox, J. Willem, T. Whitworth, K. Windmolders, J. Winkelman, T. Wojas, R. Wood, A.J. Woznica, J.J. Wuilbaut.

All remaining errors are my responsibility.

Please send further corrections, comments, and suggestions to jlindsey@maastrichtuniversity.nl

An Estonian translation of this page.


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