Ecological Properties of Epigeal Invertebrate Communities in Green Areas in the City of Plovdiv. Part 4 - Maritsa River

The current study aims to characterize and compare the epigeal invertebrates communities along the urban-rural gradient at Maritsa River on the territory of the city of Plovdiv. The predominant tree and shrub vegetation in the three studied zones is typical riparian and mainly ruderal. With the greatest number of individuals and with the highest species richness is the epigeal invertebrates community in the suburban zone. In the three studied zones, Hyemnoptera, Formicidae; Aranea and Izopoda predominate. The epigeal invertebrate community in the suburban zone is characterized by the greatest diversity, calculated using two diveristy indices. The surveyed epigeal invertebrates communities in the three urban parks do not follow the generally established dependence of declining the diversity from the periphery to the city center.