Collembola communities in Sphagnum basin bogs and their importance to biodiversity of pine forest

Abstract

The small basin bogs situated in pine forest plantation have preserved specific and interesting collembolan fauna. Many stenotypic species typical of mire habitats were reported in these enclaves: Ceratophysella mosquensis, C.scotica, Isotomurus plumosus, Ballistura crassicauda, Arrhopalites principalis, Sminthurides schoetti, S. malmgreni, S. parvulus and S. pseudassimilis. A few rare species were also found: Isotoma neglecta, I.tenuicornis, I. ruseki, Folsomia bisetosa, Pseudanurophorus binoculatus, A. spinosus and Stachorutes sphagnophilus. The species composition, richness and diversity of Collembola communities varied according to size of peatland, mire type, water conditions, plant communities and terrain topography. However, the distribution of boreal-alpine species, that occurred in basin bogs, was not clearly related to these parameters. Cluster analysis showed a high similarity of Collembola communities of mires situated in the same geographical subprovince.