The edificator role of hazel in the formation of the Collembola taxocene of subcontinental oak-hornbeam forests of the Wigerski National Park (Poland)

Abstract

A comparative analysis of the taxonomic and ecological structure of collembolan taxocenes in the subcontinental oak-hornbeam forests of Viger National Park with different projective coverage of hazel was carried out. It was established that the fauna of the collembola of the studied forests of the Viger National Park is represented by 51 species of collembola belonging to 31 genera and 11 families. The fewest species were registered in the areas without hazel, and the most - with its participation. The obtained data indicate that the absence or insignificant presence of hazel leads to a decrease in the species richness of the Collembola taxocene. On the other hand, the presence of hazel in the experimental plots of the oak-hornbeam forest allows more species of collembolans to survive both at the level of point and coenotic alpha-diversity. This may indicate that in the studied forest communities with a significant presence of hazel, the capacity of the environment for Collembola increases compared to those where hazel is absent or represented by a small number of tree shrubs. Folsomia quadrioculata, Isotomiella minor, Lepidocyrtus lignorum, as well as polytopic forest species: Pogonognatellus flavescens and Pseudosinella horaki. Species with the highest frequency of occurrence both in the soil samples and in all studied areas of the oak-hornbeam forest were also such eurytopic species as Parisotoma notabilis, Pogonognathellus flavescens, Lepidocyrtus lignorum, Pseudosinella horaki. Among the polytopic forest collembola, eight species can be classified as saproxylic. Three of them, i.e. Proisotoma minima, Vertagopus cinereus, Pratanurida boerneri, are saproxylobionts. Species such as Pseudachorutes parvulus, Neanura muscorum, Neanura minuta, Oligaphorura absoloni and Entomobrya corticalis are saproxylophiles, i.e. species that prefer dead wood but also live in other forest microhabitats. Also, 35 species are typical litter or soil inhabitants. Therefore, the research results indicate the important importance of hazel in the formation of the ecological structure of collembolan taxocenes in the oak-hornbeam forests of the studied region. However, the detected changes in the investigated taxocenes are insignificant and mainly concern indicators of cadastral species richness according to P. Whittaker, as well as the numerical ratio of species.