Costs of living in metal polluted areas: respiration rate of the ground beetle Pterostichus oblongopunctatus from two gradients of metal pollution

摘要: To address the question about costs of living in polluted areas, biomarkers linked to metabolism were measured Pterostichus oblongopunctatus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) collected along two metal-pollution gradients vicinity largest Polish zinc smelters: ‘Boleslaw’ and ‘Miasteczko Śląskie’ southern Poland. Both covered a broad range Zn Cd concentrations humus layer (109–6151 1.48–71.4 mg kg−1, respectively) body metal increased with increasing soil concentrations. The whole-organism respiration rate was as oxygen consumption Micro-Oxymax respirometer, cellular energy consumption—as activity electron transport system, which is rate. significant increase concentration found when taking into account other factors such mass, gradient (or year sampling beetles on different years) interactions: concentrations × collection date, concentrations × body mass × gradient/sampling year. However, no relationships between or could be detected using mean values per site, underlining crucial importance incorporating individual variability analyses. observed contamination metals suggests that P. incurs energetic expenditures resulting from necessity facilitate elimination repair toxicant-induced damage.