the ecology of old mine sites || recolonisation by staphylinidae (coleoptera) of old metalliferous...

Recolonisation by Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) of Old Metalliferous Tailings and Mine Soils inIrelandAuthor(s): Jervis A. GoodSource: Biology and Environment: Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, Vol. 99B, No. 1,The Ecology of Old Mine Sites (Sep., 1999), pp. 27-35Published by: Royal Irish AcademyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20500043 .

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RECOLONISATION BY STAPHYLINIDAE

(COLEOPTERA) OF OLD METALLIFEROUS

TAILINGS AND MINE SOILS IN IRELAND

Jervis A. Good

ABSTRACT

Naturally and artificially revegetated grassland and wetland soils from eleven historical non-ferrous metalliferous Irish mines and one Zn/Pb anomaly were sampled for Staphylinidae. A total of 82 species was recorded. There were significantly fewer species in samples from eight metalliferous old

mine sites, in comparison to a set of paired non-metalliferous sites. Some metalliferous tailings sites had well-developed staphylinid assemblages, with a range of species typical of old grassland or wetlands. These sites included Pb tailings with wet grassland cover and Cu tailings and Zn/Pb tailings with marsh covers. Stable soil moisture conditions appear to be important for the recolonisation of metalliferous soils by staphylinid species typical of self-sustaining ecosystems.

J.A. Good,

Terrascope Environmental Consultancy, Glinny, Riverstick, Co.

Cork.

INTRODUCTION

There are over 140 historical metalliferous mine sites in Ireland, ranging from small shafts where only tens of tonnes of ore were extracted to large mines such as Avoca Mines in Co. Wicklow (Cole 1922; Brown 1982; Andrew et al. 1986).

The surfaces of these abandoned historical mines are characterised by a mosaic of soils, including areas of cobbings, spoil or tailings with varying degrees of natural recolonisation by vegetation. The more recent (post-1960) mine sites have large ring-dyke tailings impoundments, referred to as tailings management facilities (TMFs), most of

which have been revegetated by seeding to grass land. Many of these mine soils and tailings contain elevated concentrations of elements, such as arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn). In addition to mine sites, there are also areas with geochemical anomalies where soils con tain naturally elevated heavy metal concentrations (e.g. Brown and Romer 1982).

Vegetation covers are widely used in the reha bilitation of modern metalliferous tailings and their self-sustainability depends on the development of an effective decomposer community and nutrient availability from recycling and mineralisation. The process of natural recolonisation of old mine soils by soil fauna may assist our understanding of how self-sustainability might be achieved on modern tailings, as well as providing ecological data on the old mine sites themselves.

Six-hundred-and-twenty-one species of staphy linid beetle are recorded in Ireland (Anderson et al. 1997), many of which are associated with

grassland, wetland and woodland soils. In general, staphylinids do not appear to be as sensitive to elevated soil metal concentrations as other inverte brates such as earthworms or isopods (Hopkin 1989), but they respond to other soil factors such as organic matter content (Pietraszko and De

Clercq 1982), soil nutrient status (Tikhomirova 1980; Curry 1986), soil moisture (Tikhoniirova 1968; Good and Wistow 1997) and populations of decomposer organisms (Dennison and Hodkinson 1983). The relative abundance of different species

may provide a good indication of some of these factors in moderately metalliferous soils, indepen dent of the direct effect of metals.

The results of a survey of the staphylinid assemblages of selected metalliferous grassland and

wetland mine soils in Ireland are reported here, with special reference to mine tailings. The objec tive of this survey was to examine how effectively a typical staphylinid fauna recolonised these sites. A detailed comparison of old mine sites, or the estab lishment of specific relationships between soil parameters and staphylinid fauna, was beyond the scope of this survey.

METHODS

Historical metalliferous mine sites and geo chemical anomalies were located using information from Cole (1922), Brown (1982), Andrew et al. (1986), and the public files of the Geological Survey of Ireland, and from information kindly supplied by J.P. Timpson, P.C. Robinson and

W.G. Dallas (pers. comm.). Twelve sites, most of

BIZOLCY AND ENVIRONMENT: PROCEEDINGIS OF THE ROYAL IRISH ACADuEMY, VOL. 99B, No. 1, 27-35 (1999). c RkOYAL IRISH ACADEMY 27



BIOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

which were tailings, were selected for sampling (Table 1) Eight of these sites were compared with eight non-metalliferous sites paired for similar veg etation cover, although the non-metalliferous sites

were often in different regions, and sampled in different years However, this is considered accept able because it is the total number of species or the number of typical species that is being compared, rather than taxonormc similarity The non-metal lhferous sites (see Table 2) were Dunmanway, Co

Cork (Wi851), Glandore, Co Cork (W2436), Riverstick, Co Cork (W6658), Castletown, Co Clare (R2898), Faranamanagh, Co Cork (V8337), Galley Head, Co Cork (W3431), Ballyvergin, Co Clare (R4281) and the Curragh, Co Kildare (N7514)

Areas for samplhng were selected at these sites, which had relatively homogeneous vegetation and soil. Sites were sampled using either plastic pitfall traps with undiluted ethylene glycol as preservative (four from each site for c 21 days) or a petrol-en gine suction sampler, or both with the same num ber of samples being taken at each site In the latter case a D-vac suction sampler was used at most sites (see Good and Giller 1991), and a modified Stlhlx

BR 400 suction apparatus, mounted on the opera tor's back, was used at Shallee (see Good and

Butler 1998)

Species were selected as typical of self-sustain ing soil coninumtles if they were restricted to uncultivated grasslands without external nutrient

inputs, or to undisturbed wetlands, based on data collected from a large number of reference grass land sites (Good and Giller 1990, Good and Butler 1996, J A Good, unpublished), and from a smaller number of wetland sites, in addition to literature summaries of the habitat ecology of each species (Honon 1963-67, Palm 1970, Koch 1989) The nomenclature for Staphylinidae follows that of An derson et al (1997)

Analyses of soil metal concentrations were taken at only some of the sites (see Table 3a, Good 1999, Good and Butler 1999), but in other cases elevated soil metal concentrations were previously recorded from the sites sampled (Geological Survey of Ireland public files, W G Dallas, pers comm).

Where samples were taken, these were spot sam ples from the area sampled for Staphylinidae, and were analysed by OMAC Laboratonres Ltd, Loughrea, using Aqua-Regia extraction

RESULTS

In total, 82 species of Staphylinidae were recorded from the eleven metalliferous tailings and

mine sites, and one metalliferous anomaly site (see Tables 3a,b-6, Good 1999, Good and Butler 1999, J A Good, unpublished data) The mean number of species, in each of three abundance classes, for the eight older mine sites (i e excluding

Avoca, Silvermines and Tynagh) was less than that

Table 1 -Details of old mine sites and a geochemical anomaly site (Carrickittle, Co. Limerick)

that were sampled. All mine site sampled areas were on tailings, except for Ardtully, Castletown and Knockmahon. Age refers to estimated age of sampled sward (i.e

time since revegetation or mine abandonment in the case of older mines). Soil pH

data is only available for Avoca (4.9-5.6) and Shallee (5.0-7.3) (Good 1999; Good and Butler 1999). Ardtully, Carrickittle, Silvermines and Tynagh received fertiliser nutrient inputs in the year of sampling; otherwise sampled sites did not receive

external nutrient inputs, with the exception of Avoca (in the late 1980s). Sward cover

was 90-100% on all sampled areas. Abbreviations: n/a, not applicable; l/s, limestone rendzina. Abbreviations in parentheses refer to depth of litter layer: (D), deep; (M),

moderate; (S), shallow.

Location (ore) (Grid ref) Age Vegetation cover Sampling methods and months

Allihbes, Co Cork (Cu) (V5845) >50 Wet grassland/marsh (D) D-vac, pitfall traps (une-July, 1991)

Ardtully, Co Kerry (Cu) (V9773) > 10 Sslage meadow (D) Pitfall traps June-July, 1991)

Avoca, Co Wicklow (Cu) (T2175) 6 Festuca, gorse (S) D-vac (September, 1992), pitfall trap June-July, 1991)

Ballysadare, Co Sligo (Pb/Zn) (G6629) >30 Marsh, Juncus (M) D-vac July, 1991)

Ballyvergin, Co Clare (Pb/Cu) (R4281) >30 Wet grassland,Juncus (M) Pstfall traps June-July, 1991)

Caim, Co Wexford (Pb) (S8840) >30 Molhnia tussocks (D) Pstfall traps June-July, 1991)

Carrsckittle, Co Limernck (Zn/Pb) (R7439) n/a Dairy pasture (M) Pitfall traps June-July, 1991)

Castletown, Co Clare (Pb) (R2898) >50 L/s pasture (S) D-vac (une, 1992)

Knockmahon, Co Waterford (Cu) (X4498) >50 Festuca rubra (D) D-vac (September, 1992)

Shallee, Co Tipperary (Pb) (R8171) >30 Mossy grassland (M) S-vac (May, 1993), pstfall traps June-July, 1991)

Silvermines, Co Tipperary (Zn/Pb) (R8072) 6 Agrostis stolontfera (S) D-vac, pitfall traps (une-July, 1991)

Tynagh, Co Galway (Zn/Pb/Cu/Ag) (M7512) 6 Festuca rubra (S) D-vac, pitfall traps (June-July, 1991)

28



RECOLONISATION OF OLD MINE SOILS

for comparable non-metalliferous sites (Table 2) The median number of species in the eight metal liferous mine sites was significantly less than in the comparable sites (Wilcoxon's signed rank test, z 255, P<0 02)

Of the five geochemical anomaly sites exam ined Knockalour, Co Wexford (As), Ballinalack,

Co Westmeath (Zn/Pb), Ballinvinck, Co Limer ick (Pb), Harberton Brndge, Co Kildare (Zn/Pb) and Carrickittle, Co. Limerick (Zn/Pb) -only Car rickittle had an extensive area of grassland This site

was a dairy pasture receiving fertillser inputs, and the recorded fauna (Table 3a) is characteristic of dung and fertilised organic-rich soils The metal concentrations of the sampled area were lower than those generally occurring in old mine sites, and lower than ICRCL trigger concentrations Table 3b)

The Zn/Pb tailings wetland site at Ballysadare had fewer species in each abundance category than

a non-metalliferous coastal wetland at Farana managh (Table 2), and fewer typical wetland species than a nine pond wetland at Ballyvergin (Table 5).

Nonetheless, the site had reasonable populations of a number of typical species, compared to grassland sites (Table 4)

Of the mine sites with Festuca rubra-dominated vegetation, there was a much smaller number of typical old grassland species at Tynagh tailings (with

metal-tolerant grass) compared with an equivalent sample from a non-metalliferous site, than at

Knockmahon (Table 6) However, higher numbers of old grassland species occurred in a metal-tolerant Agrostis stolonmfera sward at Silvermines Zn/Pb tail ings in a plot receiving high organic amendments six

years earlier When examined in 1997, the Tynagh grass plot had been replaced by a dense moss cover (c 80mm depth), which was being invaded by birch (Betula pubescens) and willow (Salix sp ), whereas the

Agrostis sward at Silvermines had retained 97%

Table 2-The number of staphylinid species in different abundance classes from old mine sites in Ireland, compared to similar non-metalliferous sites, using the same sampling

procedure for each pair. Note that some sites were sampled using pitfall traps (Pt), and others were sampled using a suction sampler (Ss).

Site Abundance classes (total) Sampling Source method

11-100 2-10 1

Metalliferous sites

Ardtully fertillsed meadow (Cu) 2 3 3 Pt Unpublished data

Ballyvergin Holcus lanatus (Pb/Cu) 0 3 4 Pt Unpublished data

Caim Molinia caerulea (Pb) 0 1 7 Pt Good (1999) Castletown 1/s pasture (Pb) 0 2 2 Ss Unpublished data

Ballysadare marsh (Pb/Zn) 1 6 8 Ss Table 5

Knockmahon Festuca rubra (Cu) 1 6 3 Ss Table 6 Allihies marsh (Cu) 1 8 6 Pt+Ss Good and Butler (1999) Shallee grass/moss (Pb) 2 7 6 Pt+Ss Good (1999)

Mean number of species 0 87 4 50 4 87

Non-metalliferous sites

Dunmanway fertilised meadow 0 4 8 Pt Good and Giller (1990) Glandore Holcus lanatus 2 4 9 Pt Good and Giller (1990) Riverstick Molinia caerulea 1 5 6 Pt Good (1999) Castletown 1/s pasture 0 5 0 Ss Unpublished data

Farranamanagh marsh 3 9 11 Ss Good and Butler (1998)* Galley Head Festuca rubra 1 8 5 Ss Table 6

Ballyvergin marsh 5 6 8 Pt + Ss Table 5

Curragh grass/moss 2 9 5 Pt+Ss Good and Butler (1996)* Mean number of species 1 75 6.25 6.5

*Data are for Pt or Ss only, Pt + Ss samples were not separated in the published source.

29



BIOLOGY ANI) ENVIRONMENT

grass cover (8 (0 5m x 0.5m) quadrats) in Septem ber 1997 twelve years after sowing

The results from Avoca Cu tailings sown grassland (on a thin shale and topsoil cover) and a natural marsh on Allihies Cu tailings are described elsewhere (Good and Butler 1999), as are the results from a naturally colonised grassland on Shallee Pb tailings and Molbnma caerulea tussocks on Calm Pb tailings (Good 1999) The relative abun dance of typical old grassland species was poor at Avoca and at Calm, but at Shallee it was compara ble to a number of old grassland sites (see Table 4) The marsh at Allihies had a reasonably developed wetland fauna, although with lower numbers of

typical species than comparable wetlands Table 4)

DISCUSSION

Geochermcal anomaly sites were not useful in providing an indication of how the staphylinmd fauna might develop under a self-sustaining grass land or wetland cover on metalliferous soils in

Table 3a-Staphylinidae from pitfall traps from a fertilised dairy pasture on

a Pb/Zn anomaly at Carrickittle, Co. Limerick.

Species Number

Geostiba carcellaris (Grav) 1

Ocypus aeneocephalus (DeGeer) 2

Philonthus carbonarius (Grav) 20

Philonthus cognatus (Steph) 14

Philonthus decorus (Grav ) 1

Phllonthus lamnatus (Creutz) 8 Phdlonthus marginatus (Strom) 2

Phdlonthus splendens (Fab) 2 Philonthus vanans (Payk.) 1

Tachinus laticolis Grav 7

Tachtnus signatus Gray 83

Ireland, as old grassland or wetland cover was not found at the five anomaly sites visited Further

more, the soil heavy metal concentrations of anomalies are low relative to most tailings and

mine soils, and their soils have had thousands of years of weathering and organic matter accumula tion compared to mnne waste soils Many old mine sites were also different from modern tailings in terms of soil texture, drainage and metal concen trations, which makes extrapolations difficult from the former to the latter Compared to tailings, older rmne waste also tends to be geochenmcally

much more heterogeneous because of mixing of material from different sources. The emphasis of this survey has, therefore, been on tailings sites, notwithstanding the fact that there are old sites such as Avoca Mines, where nmne spoil rehabilita tion has been investigated (Gallagher et al 1999)

The results show that the soil staphylhnid fauna develops slowly in most recolomsed metalliferous soils, with significantly fewer species than in non

metalliferous soils Staphylinid adults can rapidly colonise isolated revegetated sites (e g Good and

Wistow 1997) and all sites were surrounded by habitats from which typical species could mmii grate, so that recolonisation ability is unlikely to be the cause of slow faunal development Another possible cause is the lower productivity that would be expected in metal-tolerant ecosystems (Ernst 1988), but slow soil development of nmcrobial and arthropod communities has been observed on non

metalliferous, directly revegetated (i e without topsoil) coal mine waste, due to soil physicochem ical factors other than metal concentrations (Fresquez et al 1986, Parmenter and MacMahon 1987) This may also be the case at Irish mine sites, especially in respect of soil water retention Wet land sites (Allihies and Ballysadare) and tailings

with a high water table (Shallee) had relatively well-developed assemblages, in comparison to drier soils (Avoca and Calm) (Table 5, Good 1999,

Good and Butler 1999). Taking into account the expected lower productivity of metalliferous tail ings soils mentioned above, the relatively well-de veloped assemblage in the Silvernunes Zn/Pb tailings plot (Tables 4 and 7), which received high organic input, may also indicate the importance of

Table 3b-Composite spot-sample total soil metal concentrations (mg/kg) from the sampled

area at Carrickittle. Trigger concentrations refer to threshold concentrations (mg/

kg) above which phytotoxicity or zootoxicity may occur in mine wastes (ICRCL

1990).

Element As Cu Cd Pb Zn

Carrickittle <30 22 1 9 239 494

Trigger concentrations 50 250 3 0 300 1000

30




soil organic matter in moisture retention as well as metal complexing This tailings site, like most

modern tailings impoundments, is more exposed to the drying effects of wind than the surround ing countryside, including the relatively sheltered

Shallee Pb tailings site (An exposed site, e g the Curragh, Co Kildare (Good and Butler 1996) and a dry esker pasture soil, e g near Roscrea, but in Co Offaly (Good and Giller 1990), were used as non-metalliferous comparisons in Table

4) At Silvernmnes, there was good growth and

cover of the salt- and metal-tolerant grass Agrostis stolonifera cv 'Seaside' in 1997 in the sampled plot, which had received a high rate of organic matter addition at establishment twelve years ear lier A recent EPA report on the Silvermines

Zn/Pb tailings facility (EPA 1999) estimated that 50% of the tailings had poor growth or no grass cover, but that some of the grass cover indicated sustainable growth. The development of the soil staphylinid assemblage in 1991 lends support to this conclusion that long-term self-sustaining cover is feasible on Silvermines Zn/Pb tailings, under appropriate management and where pyrnte oxidation is controlled

Under other conditions, where there are rel atively high concentrations of Cu, Pb and Zn, and a finer textured taihngs liable to hold water for long pernods, semi-wetland ecosystems may develop The sampled Festuca rubra sward at Ty nagh (Zn/Pb/Cu/Ag tailings) had relatively low numbers of typical old grassland staphylinid spe

cles when sampled in 1991 (Tables 4 and 6), and by 1997 it had been succeeded by a moss/Betula/ Salix community High numbers of Sepedophilus nigrupennis occurred in the Festuca rubra swards from all three sites (Table 6) Although the diet of this species is not known, it is probably

mycetophagous like related species of the genus (Newton 1984), and may be associated with fun gal growth in the accumulated undecomposed litter characteristic of F. rubra swards It is not clear whether such litter accumulations are due to salt concentrations at sea cliff sites (Galley

Head (non-metalliferous) and Knockmahon (Cu spoil)) and at the surface of tailings due to capil lary action durnng dry penods (Tynagh) (see

Ritcey 1989). Whether the lack of decomposi tion at the Tynagh plot, combined with saturated soil conditions durnng wet weather (Galley Head and Knockmahon have a coarser textured, free draining soil), is a cause of the replacement of the grass sward by a moss/Betula/Salix commu nity is also not clear

Wetland vegetation has been demonstrated to be particularly effective as a cover on pyritic, acid-generating tailings in North America (Nawrot 1985, Nawrot et al 1987, Ritcey 1989), and it is proposed as a cover for the Zn/Pb tailings at Lisheen, Co Tipperary (Dallas and

Good 1995) If the staphylinid fauna provides an indication of the development of the decomposer community as a whole, then the results from Allihies and Ballysadare support the conclusion that self-sustaining wetland ecosystems can de velop under suitable hydrological conditions on

Table 4-The number of typical old grassland or wetland staphylinid species in different

abundance classes from combined pitfall traps and suction samples from six mine

tailings sites and two old pastures in rank order.

Site Abundance classes (total) Source

11-100 2-10 1

Shallee (Pb) grass/moss 2 7 6 Good (1999)

ARihies (Cu) marsh 1 6 2 Good and Butler (1999)

Curragh grass/moss 1 5 2 Good and Butler (1996)

Roscrea esker pasture 3 2 0 Good and Giller (1990)

Ballysadare (Pb/Zn) marsh 1 3 3 Table 5

Curragh Nardus 0 5 2 Good and Butler (1996)

Silvermines (Zn/Pb) Agrostis 0 3 1 Table 7

Avoca (Cu) Ulex/grass 0 2 3 Good and Butler (1999)

Tynagh (Zn/Pb/Cu/Ag) Festuca 0 1 1 Table 6

Avoca (Cu) Festuca 0 1 1 Good and Butler (1999)

Avoca (Cu) Holcus 0 0 3 Good and Butler (1999)

31



BIo)Lo(,Y ANI) ENVIIkONMENT

Cu and Pb/Zn tailings. However, any drying out of the wetland, which would increase the redox potential and metal availability of the soil, could be detrimental to such a metalliferous ecosystem and its fauna (Stigliani 1988)

CONCLUSION

Staphylinid assemblages typical of self-sustain

ing grassland and wetland ecosystems have been found to occur on non-ferrous metalliferous soils in Ireland, once certain physicochenucal condi tions prevail In particular, soils that are not drought-prone, wetland soils, and soils with rela tively high organic matter content, appear to favour the development of a typical staphylinid assemblage Direct-seeded metalliferous ecosystems are likely to have less productivity and faunal diversity than normal soils

Table 5-Staphylinidae from D-vac suction samples from a marsh on Pb/Zn tailings at

Ballysadare (Co. Sligo), compared to a pond marsh at Ballyvergin mine (Co. Clare).

(Pitfall traps were used at both sites but did not produce any staphylinids.)

Spectes Ballyvergin Ballysadare

Dacrlla fallax (Kr.)* 1

Deubelha pictna (Aube)* 59 60

Encephalus complicans Kirby 1 Euaesthetus ruficapillus Lac * 13 Hygronoma dimidiata (Grav )* 23

Lesteva sicula Er * 1 6

Oxypoda elongatula Aube 1

Paederus ripanus (L )* 6

Stenus flavipes Steph 2 Stenus fulvrcornzs Steph 1 Stenus juno (Payk.) 4 4 Stenus latifrons Er * 87

Stenus lustrator Er.* 2

Stenus nitens Steph * 23 Stenus nntzdzusculus Steph* 10 6 Stenus picipennis Er * 4 1

Stenus similbs (Herbst) 1

Tachyporus chrysomelinus (L) 1

Tachyporus pallidus Sharp 1

Atheta fungi (Gray ) - 2

Atheta gramirncola (Gra) - 4

Cypha laevzuscula (Mann) - 5

Dilacra luteipes (Er.)* - 1

Quedius fumatus (Steph )* - 7 Stenus carbonartus Gyll *

- 1

Stenus ossium Steph. - 1 Stenus picipes Steph - 1 Stenus tarsalts Ljungh I

Tachyporus dispar (Payk) - 1 Tachyporus nitidulus (Fab.) - 1

Number of species 19 16 Number of wetland species 11 7

Number of wetland species (n> 1) 9 4

Number of individuals 241 98

*Species typical of wetland habitats

32




Table 6-Staphylinidae from a sown Festuca rubra sward on Zn/Pb/Cu/Ag tailings at Tynagh

(Co. Galway), compared to a naturally recolonised F. rubra sward on Cu mine spoil

(suction samples only) at Knockmahon (Co. Waterford) and from a F. rubra

dominated sward on non-metalliferous soil at Galley Head (Co. Cork). Total

samples from Galley Head and Tynagh are combined pitfall trap and suction

samples; samples from Knockmahon are suction samples only.

Species Tynagh Galley Head Knockmahon

Total Total D-vac D-vac

Astenus lyonessrus Joy)* - 5 5 -

Atheta amphlcollis (Muls and Rey) 60 2 1 6 Atheta clientula (Er )* - 4 3 2 Atheta fungi (Grav) 8 4 2 8 Ocypus aeneocephalus (DeGeer) - 2 - -

Ocypus mornstans (Rossl)* - 1

Ocypus olens (Mull )* - 43 Quedius fuliginosus (Grav )/curtipennis Bernh. - 1 - - Quedius semtobscurus (Marsh )* - 3 _ _ Quedius pictpes (Mann )* - 1 Quedius testis (Grav) - 4

Sepedophilus marshami (Steph )* - 3 1 -

Sepedophilus nigapennis (Steph.) 45 96 95 74 Stenus brunnipes Steph * - 5 3 -

Stenus clavicornis (Scop) - 3 3 Stenus fulvicornis Steph * - 1 1

Stenus nanus Steph. - 3 3 Stenus ossium Steph. 1 1 1 1

Tachlnus laticollis Grav 1 - -

Tachinus signatus Grav 3 - -

Tachyporus chrysomelinus (L.) - 2 1 1

Tachyporus dispar (Payk) 5 2 2 -

Tachyporus hypnorum (Fab) - 3 3 5 Xantholinus glabratus (Grav) - 2 - - Xantholhnus linearis (01) - -

Amischa analhs (Grav) 14 - - -

Cypha laeviuscula (Mann) 3 - - -

Geostiba circellaris (Grav )* 2 - - -

Metopsta retusa (Steph )* 1 - - -

Mycetoporus splendidus (Grav) 1 - - -

Philonthus carbonanus (Grav) 3 - - -

Philonthus cognatus Steph 8 - - -

Quedius boops (Gray )* 2 - - -

Tachyporus nittdulus (Fab.) 1 - - 1

Tachyporus pusillus Grav. 2 - - -

Drusilla canaltculata (Fab )* - - - 3

Stenus impressus Germ.* - - - 3

Number of species 15 25 14 10 Number of old grassland species 2 9 5 3 Number of old grassland species (n> 1) 1 6 3 3 Number of individuals 156 196 124 104

*Species are typical of old grasslands

33



BIOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author is particularly grateful to J P. Timpson, W G Dallas and P C Robinson for information on a number of tailings sites, and for facilitating access to these sites Thanks go to J Pyne, Geological Survey of Ireland, for facill

tating access to GSI site data and to all the landowners who granted permission to work on their land F T Butler and W G Dallas kindly provided valuable comments on the manuscrnpt This work formed part of a project funded by the EC ACE programme in co-operation with Tara

Mines (Outukumpu Zinc plc)

Table 7-Staphylinidae (pitfall traps and suction samples combined) from sown Agrostis

stolonifera sward on Zn/Pb tailings at Silvermines (Co. Tipperary) and a natural A.

stolonifera sward from a saline sandy soil at Tacumshin Lake (Co. Wexford) (see

Good and Butler 1998).

Species Silvermines Tacumshrn

Aloconota gregarna (Er) 1

Amischa analzs (Grav) 18

Anotylus rugosus (Fab.) 4 Atheta amplicollis (Muls and Rey) 70 18

Athetafungi (Grav) 25 3 Atheta eremita (Rye) 1

Encephalus complhcans Kirby* 3

Ocypus aeneocephalus (DeGeer) 1 Oxypoda haemorrhoa (Mann) 1

Philonthus carbonarius (Grav) 3 1

Phulonthus lamunatus (Creutz) 3

Quedius boops (Grav )* 2

Quedius semuobscurus (Marsh )* 3

Sepedophilus nugupennis (Steph) 1

Stenus brunnupes Steph * 1

Stenus clavicornis (Scop) 2

Stenus ossium Steph 4

Tachinus signatus Grav 4

Tachyporus dispar (Payk) 13

Tachyporus pusillus Grav 1 2

Atheta gramrnicola (Gray) - 45

Atheta melanocera (Thoms )* - 4

Atheta volans (Scriba)* 9

Gabrtus pennatus Sharp - 1

Ischnopoda atra (Grav.) 2

Paederus fuscipes Curt * - 16 Phulonthus micans (Grav )*- 3 Phulonthus quisquiliarius (Gyll )* - 2

Stenus boops Ljungh* - 16

Stenus juno (Payk ) - 10

Tachyporus chrysomelinus (L.) - 29 Tachyporus hypnorum (Fab) - 5

Number of species 20 16

Number of old grassland species 4 6

Number of old grassland species (n > 1) 3 6

Number of individuals 161 166

*Species are typical of old grasslands or lake shore grass

34




The subvention granted by University College Dublin towards the cost of publication of papers by

members of its staff is gratefully acknowledged by the Royal Irish

Academy.

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