The Tomocerinae (Collembola) in Old Field Stands of North Carolina

Abstract

An investigation of the Tomocerinae was concducted in a selected series of old field successional .stands in the Piedmont of North Carolina to determine the variability in size and trivial composition of populations in different seral stages of old field communities. An analysis of seasonal fluctuations in density and frequency of the several species was computed to decide what microclimatic factors affected each member of the .subfamily; stratal sampling was employed to establish the possibility of vertical migrations in the litter-humus layer and underlying soil strata. The Piedmont region of North Carolina presents an orderly secondary succession of vegetation following the abandonment of upland fields (Oosting 1942). Five types of old field communities were chosen for study with paired stations established for each successional stage with most stations located in the Duke University Forest (Figure 1). The author is grateful to Dr. I. E. Gray of the Department of Zoology, -Duke University, for guidance and helpful criticisms, anid to Dr. David Wray of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture for confirming the -identifications of the Tomocerinae.