Diversity Of Collembola Research Articles

Intercropping outweighs straw incorporation driving community and functional diversity of microarthropods after 5 years of tillage practices

Crop-leguminous intercropping and straw incorporation are considerable approaches to sustainable agriculture and have been widely used as a coping strategy to mitigate the negative effects caused by intensive agriculture. Yet, as a sustainable agriculture requires a deeper understanding of the impacts of conservation tillage practices on soil fauna, such as collembolans and acarid mites. These organisms are considered the most abundant and functionally critical soil fauna in many terrestrial natural, agricultural, and urban systems. In the present study, we assessed the responses of the community and functional diversity of collembolan and acarid mite assemblages to long-term intercropping and straw incorporation practices in a temperate farming land, in China. The experimental site was established with a full-factorial design of conservation managements (maize monocropping, maize-peanut intercropping, without maize straw addition, and with maize straw addition) over five consecutive years. Results showed that intercropping doubled collembolan and acarid density. Most of the enriched species in the intercropping field were euedaphic collembolans and cleptoparasitic mites. Nonetheless, the density of most phoretic species decreased, resulting in a negative effect of intercropping on acarid diversity. Despite straw incorporation additionally boosting the intercropping-induced increases in biomass, richness, and density of the collembolan community, the effects of straw incorporation on the community structure of collembolans and acarid mites were negligible. Similarly, intercropping affected the functional composition of collembolans and mites differently. Intercropping favored euedaphic collembolans characterized by less-developed furca, ocelli and sexual reproduction, but fungivorous, and benefited the cleptoparasitic mites that might be transported by their provisional hosts during pollinating peanut flowers. Moreover, intercropping decreased the functional dispersion of acarid mites, resulting in an acarid community with a homogenized ecological niche of acarid mites. In contrast, the ecological niche was more differentiated. Similar to intercropping, the ecological niche of collembolans in the field with straw was relatively higher, as well as the functional divergence, suggesting more intense resource competition between collembolans. In conclusion, intercropping has species-specific effects on the community and functional diversity of collembolans and mites and is relatively beneficial to collembolans, whereas straw incorporation has a marginal advantage on collembolans and acarid mites.

Collembola Diversity across Vegetation Types of a Neotropical Island in a River Delta

Springtails, vital for ecosystem assessment, are often overshadowed by taxonomy-focused research, which mostly neglects their ecology and distribution, particularly in the Neotropical Region. The objective of this study was to identify how environmental factors, especially vegetation types, affect the availability of food resources for epiedaphic Collembola and influence their diversity patterns in three vegetation types (riparian forest, mangrove, and restinga) in the Canárias Island, in Delta do Parnaíba Environmental Protection Area, Brazil (APADP). We collected samples along 200 m transects in each vegetation type during the dry and rainy seasons. After, specimens were sorted, counted and identified. Alpha (species richness, Shannon, Simpson, and Pielou indices) and beta diversity (Whittaker index) were analyzed, along with environmental factors’ influence through Redundancy Analysis (RDA). We sampled a total of 5346 specimens, belonging to three orders, eight families, 23 genera, 31 morphospecies, and one nominal species. Species abundance was positively influenced by soil moisture, plant richness, and leaf litter. The riparian forest sheltered a higher species richness and diversity, and its biotic and abiotic factors likely enhanced the food resource availability, including vegetal organic matter, fungi, and bacteria. These results provide the first taxonomic and ecological data on the Collembola fauna in the APADP.

The effect of terrain on the fine-scale genetic diversity of sub-Antarctic Collembola: A landscape genetics approach.

Biodiversity patterns are shaped by the interplay between geodiversity and organismal characteristics. Superimposing genetic structure onto landscape heterogeneity (i.e., landscape genetics) can help to disentangle their interactions and better understand population dynamics. Previous studies on the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands (located midway between Antarctica and Africa) have highlighted the importance of landscape and climatic barriers in shaping spatial genetic patterns and have drawn attention to the value of these islands as natural laboratories for studying fundamental concepts in biology. Here, we assessed the fine-scale spatial genetic structure of the springtail, Cryptopygus antarcticus travei, which is endemic to Marion Island, in tandem with high-resolution geological data. Using a species-specific suite of microsatellite markers, a fine-scale sampling design incorporating landscape complexity and generalised linear models (GLMs), we examined genetic patterns overlaid onto high-resolution digital surface models and surface geology data across two 1-km sampling transects. The GLMs revealed that genetic patterns across the landscape closely track landscape resistance data in concert with landscape discontinuities and barriers to gene flow identified at a scale of a few metres. These results show that the island's geodiversity plays an important role in shaping biodiversity patterns and intraspecific genetic diversity. This study illustrates that fine-scale genetic patterns in soil arthropods are markedly more structured than anticipated, given that previous studies have reported high levels of genetic diversity and evidence of genetic structing linked to landscape changes for springtail species and considering the homogeneity of the vegetation complexes characteristic of the island at the scale of tens to hundreds of metres. By incorporating fine-scale and high-resolution landscape features into our study, we were able to explain much of the observed spatial genetic patterns. Our study highlights geodiversity as a driver of spatial complexity. More widely, it holds important implications for the conservation and management of the sub-Antarctic islands.

Diversity of Collembola on Various Post-Rehabilitation Land Covers

The success of rehabilitation has altered environmental conditions from critical land to new habitats for living organisms. One of the representative and sensitive mesofauna to environmental changes is Collembola. Various vegetation cover almost all of the rehabilitation area, which has impacts on microclimate and soil quality as important factors to Collembola existence. This study investigated the diversity and abundance of Collembola and its relation to environmental factors on various land covers, including teak, grass, and mixed stand land cover. Data were collected in an observation plot of 20 m × 20 m using purposive samples, including environmental measurements, Collembola collection, and soil samples for physical and chemical analysis. The results showed that different land covers affected the abundance and diversity of Collembola, even though the statistical analyses of TLC, GLC, and MLC were not significantly different. However, TLC has a higher litter thickness and organic material than the other land cover types. A few families of Collembola, such as Cyphoderidae, Brachystomellidae, Katiannidae, Isotomidae, Oncopoduridae, and Isotogastruridae, show their correlation to climatic and edaphic factors in a certain land cover.

Soil fauna diversity is enhanced by vegetation complexity and no-till planting in regenerative agroecosystems

Agricultural ecosystems are driven by the need to increase yield, due to increased food demands. Conventional, intensive practices are not sustainable as they disrupt the biodiversity in the soil which performs a range of ecosystem functions that sustain soil productivity and resilience. Conservation agriculture and crop-livestock integrated agriculture have been promoted as some of the most sustainable and biodiversity-conserving forms of agriculture. This study assesses how soil macro-and mesofauna in staple crops respond to different agricultural land uses, including conventional, integrated and conservation agriculture, and lastly, natural grassland ecosystems which were used as reference sites. We compared species richness, composition, and functional structure of soil fauna among the land uses and assessed environmental drivers of these patterns. Soil macro-and mesofauna species richness was generally lower in conventional management compared to other management practices, for overall arthropods and for the separate taxonomic groups, beetles, earthworms, spiders, and springtails. Different functional guilds varied in their responses to the farming systems. Vegetation cover and plant litter cover are the variables which benefited most fauna diversity. The practices of no-till plantings coupled with diversified crop rotations and cover crop mixtures under conservation and integrated agricultural management enhances the diversity of earthworms, collembola, beetles, and spiders. Low-disturbance soil management, crop diversification and within-crop habitat complexity preserves arthropod soil fauna diversity in staple crops.

Exploring Collembola Diversity in the Green Open Spaces of Baruga Forest, Kendari City, Indonesia.

<b>Background and Objective:</b> The rapid development of Kendari City as the capital of Southeast Sulawesi Province has led to changes in land use patterns, particularly an increase in built-up areas, which threaten environmental stability. Rapid population growth contributes to rising carbon dioxide emissions, impacting air quality. Green spaces like Baruga Forest are ideal for environmental balance and bioservation. This study aims to identify the diversity of Collembola species in Baruga Forest, Kendari and understand the environmental factors influencing their presence. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> Collembola was collected in the Baruga Forest using a Berlese funnel, then identified and classified based on the family by counting the number of individuals in each taxonomic group. The diversity of Collembola was measured using the Shannon-Wiener index, while the evenness of individual distribution in each family was assessed using an evenness index. Additionally, environmental parameters such as air temperature, air humidity and soil pH were measured. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistical analysis. <b>Results:</b> The research results indicate that there are 75 individuals of Collembola belonging to the class Entognatha. The dominant order observed is Entomobryomorpha, consisting of three families: Oncopoduridae with 60 individuals, Isotomidae with 7 individuals and Orchesellidae with 5 individuals. Additionally, there is the order Symphypleona, represented by a single family, Bourletiellidae, with one individual. The biodiversity index (H') yielded a moderate value of 0.622, where the most significant contribution comes from the genus Isotomidae. Meanwhile, the evenness index (E) indicates a uniform distribution among the various genera of Collembola. <b>Conclusion:</b> Observed variations in temperature, humidity and soil pH changes underscore the need for ongoing management and conservation of Baruga Forest to maintain the diversity of Collembola species and the sustainability of the ecosystem in Baruga Forest.

Indicators of practice intensity unearth the effects of cropping systems on soil mesofauna

Soil organisms are impacted by a wide range of physical and chemical disturbances in intensive cropping systems. The development of cropping systems less disturbing to soil biodiversity requires to understand the consequences of various practices on soil organisms. However, most studies characterize the effects of cropping systems by distinguishing between the main types of systems (i.e. conventional, organic, conservation) without taking into account the diversity of applied practices. In this study, we aimed to describe cropping systems and their effects on soil mesofauna using indicators of practice intensity previously developed by agronomists. Mesofauna sampling was conducted in autumn 2020 and 2021 over 21 fields under conventional, conservation or organic systems, either long-established (≥ 7 years) or in transition (≤ 3 years). Primary indicators and composite indexes were computed to determine the intensity of tillage, pesticide treatments and organic inputs, and used as predictors for mesofauna density and Collembola species diversity. In 2020, mesofauna density was lower in organic than in conventional systems, and both did not differ significantly from conservation systems. In 2021, Collembola density tended to be the highest in long-established conservation systems. Transitioning organic systems had a low mesofauna density. Using composite indexes, mesofauna density and Collembola diversity were observed to decrease under high tillage and low pesticide treatment intensity, while we found no clear effect using the organic input intensity index. Overall, practice intensity indicators and indexes were useful to explain the effects of cropping systems on soil mesofauna density and diversity. In particular, the tillage intensity index showed a major impact of tillage on soil mesofauna. However, the significance of the effects of practice intensity on mesofauna varied between years. Future studies are thus necessary to fully assess the relevance of intensity indicators and indexes in assessing the effects of cropping systems on soil biodiversity.

THE FORMATION OF SPRINGTAIL ASSEMBLAGES (HEXAPODA, COLLEMBOLA) ALONG A RETREATING TSEY GLACIER, NORTH OSSETIA – ALANIA

Successional changes in springtail communities were studied along a retreating Tsey Glacier at 2336 to 2071 m a.s.l. Springtails were collected from 10 sites of different ages ranging from 1 to 170 years. The sites covered the main stages of surface overgrowth, from a bare ground through a grassy-shrub stage to mixed and then mature pine forests. Springtails appeared already during the first year after the glacier’s retreat and were represented by a species of the genus Desoria, a peculiar inhabitant of bare rocky-sandy soils. During the first 7–14 years of succession, rapid changes in population and species composition repeatedly occurred. Both abundance and species diversity of springtails sharply increased at the grassy-shrub stage (14 years) and reached their maximum at later ones. Starting with this intermediate stage, springtail assemblages were primarily composed of widespread generalists belonging to euedaphic and hemiedaphic life forms. Beginning from this point, the pace of succession gradually slowed down. Approximately 100 years since, springtail communities reached a level of diversity similar to that found in mature mountain forest communities in the region. However, their species composition and structure remained quite distinctive. A comparison with similar foreign studies showed the composition of periglacial springtail communities to exhibit high-level regional specificity.

How will climate change affect the feeding biology of Collembola?

Collembolans are one of the most diverse and abundant group of soil invertebrates. Recent studies have shown anthropogenic climate warming to alter Collembola diversity and density in warm-dry (more detrimental effects) and warm-wet (lesser detrimental effects) conditions. Besides the direct influence of abiotic stressors, shifts in food availability could help understand variable collembolan responses to climate warming. Collembolan diet is generally formed by two main groups of soil fungi: saprotrophic and mycorrhizal fungi, which occupy different spatial niches in the soil, and are simultaneously affected by climate warming and drought. These fungal responses to climate change alter food availability for Collembola, inducing shifts in their dietary composition. Collembolans preferentially consume saprotrophic fungi, regardless of their spatial niche. However, those inhabiting deeper soil layers occasionally feed on mycorrhizal fungi and rely more frequently on such diets when other food sources become scarce. We suggest that climate change-driven scarcity of saprotrophic fungal diets in soils would make collembolans depend more on mycorrhizal fungal diets. We then discuss how such dietary shifts are driven by distinct mechanisms in warm-dry and warm-wet soil conditions. We finally call for the use of emerging techniques (e.g., stable isotope analysis, molecular gut content) to quantify the diets of Collembola more accurately under different climate change scenarios, which will help us shed more insights on how warming and precipitation variability are going to alter Collembola-fungal trophic interactions in a changing world.

Diversity of Collembola in The Benang Kelambu Waterfall Natural Tourism Attraction Area Rinjani Geopark Lombok Island

Collembola or what is known as springtails are insects that live in the soil, soil surface, leaf litter and litter surfaces. Collembola has an important role in the nutrient cycle, decomposition of organic material and plays a role in soil formation which is important for forest ecosystems. Collembola diversity in the Benang Kelambu Waterfall Natural Tourism Attraction Area, Rinjani Geopark, Lombok Island has never been done. This research aims to determine the diversity and ecological index of Collembola in the Benang Kelambu Waterfall Geopark Rinjani Natural Tourism Attraction Area. The type of research used was Quantitative Descriptive research conducted on 14 July-12 August 2023. Sampling used the Pitfall trap method with two research stations. Samples were taken 4 times over 1 month. The data analysis techniques used include the Sannon-Wienner diversity index (H'), the Evennes evenness index (E) and the Simpson dominance index (Di). The research results obtained 3 sub orders, 7 families, 19 species with 1657 individuals. The results of the analysis show that the Collembola Diversity Index H'=1,89591 is in the medium diversity category, the Evenness Index E=0,6439 is in the medium population evenness category and the Dominance Index Di=0,22118 is in the no dominant species category.

Below-ground pitfall traps for standardised monitoring of soil mesofauna: Design and comparison to Berlese/Tullgren funnels

Sampling of soil mesofauna has been traditionally carried out with Berlese/Tullgren extractions, a century old technique. However, sampling methods involving the extractions of soil are becoming increasingly difficult to implement and standardise due to the lack of commercially available equipment. Moreover, they are poorly suited to repeated sampling in the same locations and underestimate more mobile taxa.Below-ground (hypogean) pitfall trapping is a promising new technique that up to now was only attempted with bulky custom-manufactured tools. In the present work we test a cheap and easily deployable setup made using standard pipe fittings.The new design was compared across different environments with Berlese/Tullgren extractions in order to ascertain whether they produce similar species lists and detect the same environment-induced changes in communities. The two trap types were found to yield structurally different assemblages, with the new design producing significantly higher abundance and diversity of springtails and larger taxa. Beta-diversity profiles resulted however perfectly comparable, characterising the same pattern of dissimilarities. In addition, a new method is proposed to use the two sampling types in combination to estimate the dispersal of soil organisms.Below-ground pitfall traps have the potential to complement Berlese extractions for reliable and standardised monitoring of soil arthropods, thanks to their effectiveness, low cost and ease of operation.

Elevational changes in canopy Collembola community composition are primarily driven by species turnover on Changbai Mountain, northeastern China

Forest canopies harbor extraordinary biodiversity, with Collembola being one of the most abundant arthropod taxa. However, much of the research on canopy biodiversity has focused on tropical and subtropical regions, leaving a gap in our understanding of canopy communities in temperate and boreal forests. Studying canopy Collembola along elevational gradients can be particularly informative because several environmental factors change with elevation, and these changes may mirror those seen along latitudinal gradients. To better understand and conserve canopy Collembola diversity along elevational gradients, natural forests are of particular interest. In this study, we used canopy fogging to sample canopy Collembola at four elevation sites (800–1700 m a.s.l.) on Changbai Mountain, northeastern China, representing three natural forest types. We examined changes in species richness, abundance and composition of canopy Collembola, and partitioned beta diversity into nestedness and turnover to identify processes driving changes in community composition. We identified 53 morphospecies among 10,191 individuals, with Entomobryidae and Hypogastruridae being the dominant families. The highest abundance and species richness were observed at 1400 m and remained at similar levels at 1700 m, indicating an increasing pattern with elevation. Species turnover was the main driver of changes in community composition with elevation. Our results provide insights into the shift of canopy Collembola communities across an elevational gradient in temperate boreal forests.

Collembola taxonomic and functional diversity in conventional, organic and conservation cropping systems

Intensive agriculture has been demonstrated to be a main threat to soil biodiversity through physical and chemical disturbances of soil. Alternative systems based on lower disturbances may help to promote soil biodiversity and its role in soil functioning. However, the effects of alternative systems on soil biodiversity are still poorly understood, especially regarding soil mesofauna. In this study, we aimed to assess the effects of alternative cropping systems and practice intensity on the taxonomic and functional diversity of Collembola. Collembola were sampled for two consecutive years in 21 fields (3 plots per field) under conventional or alternative systems, namely conservation or organic systems either stable (≥7 years) or in transition (≤3 years). Indicators and indices were computed to characterize separately tillage, pesticide treatments and organic fertilization in each field. Collembola species and functional traits were investigated. Functional diversity of Collembola was assessed using species traits (i.e. traits from the literature) and by conducting length measurements directly on collected Collembola individuals (body, head, leg, antenna and furca length). Collembola diversity was highly variable between and within cropping systems and years. Species richness was notably higher in conservation than in conventional systems in the second year of the study. More specifically, low tillage and high pesticide treatment intensities increased taxonomic and functional diversity and affected species with traits adapted to the surface (i.e. scales, trichobothria). Measured Collembola body length additionally revealed the presence of larger individuals under low tillage and high pesticide treatment intensities, with similar results for other length traits. Overall, our results revealed that 1) taxonomic and functional diversity are complementary to understand the effects of agricultural practices and systems on Collembola and 2) measurement of body length is relevant to assess the effects of disturbances on the local Collembola community.

Diversity And Abundance of Collembola in Agroforestry Land in UB Forest

Collembola is one of the soil arthropods from the subphylum Hexapoda, namely six-legged arthropods that live in the soil, soil surface, leaf litter, under decomposed stems, and in living fungi. This study aims to determine and examine the diversity and abundance of Collembola on agroforestry land in UB Forest. The preparation and implementation of the research consisted of the determination of plot land, determination of soil sampling points, making holes and soil sampling, extraction of Collembola with a Berlese funnel, sorting and identification of Collembola, soil chemistry analysis and data analysis using the index formula of diversity, evenness, dominance, richness, and abundance and further analyzed with the T-test. The largest population of Collembola is found in pine + coffee land, which is 242 individuals. The highest diversity index is found in pine land, which is 1.04 which is classified as moderate or quite stable. The highest percentage of Collembola species abundance in pine + coffee fields, pine lands, and coffee fields is the family Isotomidae. The lowest percentage of Collembola abundance in pine + coffee fields and pine fields is the family Hypogastruridae, while in coffee fields it is the family Sminthuridae.

Effects of Species Invasion and Inundation on the Collembola Community in Coastal Mudflat Wetland from the Perspective of Functional Traits

The group of soil arthropods known as Collembola is characterized by its abundance and sensitivity to environmental changes. They are ideal an species for soil indicators. In order to clarify the effects of species invasion and inundation on the Collembola community in coastal mudflat wetlands, the correlation between the collembolan functional traits and environmental factors was studied in Shanghai Jiuduansha Wetland National Nature Reserve for the first time. Five sample plots, including three vegetations-Spartina alterniflora (an invasive species), Phragmites australis, and Zizania latifolia-were set up following the differences in vegetation types and between high and low tidal flats. Data on the diversity of the Collembolan species and their functional traits were collected and combined with the soil physicochemical properties and vegetation environment factors in different tidal flats. The key findings and conclusions of the study are as follows: a total of 18 species, four families, and three orders make up the obtained Collembola, two species of Proisotoma are dominant species that account for 49.59% and 24.91% of the total, respectively. The maintenance of the species diversity of Collembola is disturbed by the higher conversion efficiency of Spartina alterniflora rather than Phragmites australis with lower organic carbon (C) content and higher total nitrogen (N) content. The primary environmental variables influencing species distribution were the C/N ratio, total N, and bulk soil density. The bulk density of the soil impacts the movement and dispersal of the functional traits. The depth of the soil layer is related to the functional traits of the sensory ability. The analysis of the functional traits and environment is fairly helpful in exploring how species respond to their environment and offers a better explanation for the habitat selection of Collembola.

Globally invariant metabolism but density-diversity mismatch in springtails

Soil life supports the functioning and biodiversity of terrestrial ecosystems. Springtails (Collembola) are among the most abundant soil arthropods regulating soil fertility and flow of energy through above- and belowground food webs. However, the global distribution of springtail diversity and density, and how these relate to energy fluxes remains unknown. Here, using a global dataset representing 2470 sites, we estimate the total soil springtail biomass at 27.5 megatons carbon, which is threefold higher than wild terrestrial vertebrates, and record peak densities up to 2 million individuals per square meter in the tundra. Despite a 20-fold biomass difference between the tundra and the tropics, springtail energy use (community metabolism) remains similar across the latitudinal gradient, owing to the changes in temperature with latitude. Neither springtail density nor community metabolism is predicted by local species richness, which is high in the tropics, but comparably high in some temperate forests and even tundra. Changes in springtail activity may emerge from latitudinal gradients in temperature, predation and resource limitation in soil communities. Contrasting relationships of biomass, diversity and activity of springtail communities with temperature suggest that climate warming will alter fundamental soil biodiversity metrics in different directions, potentially restructuring terrestrial food webs and affecting soil functioning.

Inventory of Collembola Species Around Ahmad Dahlan University Campus 4 And Its Surroundings


 
 
 
 Collembola has an important value for the environment as a bioindicator in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem. Land conversion in the UAD campus 4 area can reduce the diversity of Collembola. This study aims to find out the level of diversity of Collembola species that exist on campus 4 of UAD and its surroundings, and also find out which areas have the highest and lowest number of individuals. The research area for sampling in this study is the UAD 4 campus area, vacant land, housing and rice fields. Sampling was carried out as many as four repetitions. The collembola trapped in the pitfall trap is then moved in a microtube. The collembola that has been obtained is then identified up to the species level. The data obtained were analyzed by descriptive analysis. The types of collembola obtained at campus 4 UAD and its surroundings are Folsomia sp,, Isotoma sp., Isotomurus sp., Entomobrya sp., Sminthurus sp., Hypogatrusa sp, and Lepidocyrtus sp. The collembola species that is most commonly found are from Entomobrya famili with 106 individuals and the least individual from Sminthuridae famiili with 4 individuals.
 
 
 

Karst Dolines Support Highly Diversified Soil Collembola Communities—Possible Refugia in a Warming Climate?

Karst dolines, as geomorphologically diverse natural landforms, usually exhibit more or less steep microclimatic gradients that provide a mosaic of diverse microhabitat conditions, resulting in a high diversity of soil biota with numerous rare endemic and/or relict species occupying these habitats. In this study, we investigated the spatial patterns of Collembola abundance, species richness, community structure and distribution of functional groups at topographically and microclimatically different sites across three open (unforested) karst dolines in a north-south direction in the Slovak Karst, Slovakia. We also assessed the refugial capacity of dolines for collembolan communities. The Friedman ANOVA test confirmed the significant differences in soil mean temperatures between the sites of all the dolines selected. The diverse soil microclimatic conditions within the dolines supported higher Collembola diversity (species numbers, diversity indices) compared with sites on the karst plateau and showed a potential to facilitate the persistence of some species that are absent or very rare in the surrounding landscape. In dolines with circular morphology and comparable size, the topography and soil microclimate had a stronger effect on community composition and structure than soil organic carbon. Shallow solution dolines provided microhabitats for various functional groups of soil Collembola in relation to the microclimatic character of the individual sites. It was observed that such landforms can also function as microclimatic refugia for cold-adapted species through the accumulation of colder air and the buffering of the local microclimate against the ambient mesoclimate, thus underlying the necessity of adequate attention in terms of the conservation of the karst natural phenomena.

Specific and Intraspecific Diversity of Symphypleona and Neelipleona (Hexapoda: Collembola) in Southern High Appalachia (USA)

Collembola, commonly known as springtails, are important detritivores, abundant in leaf litter and soil globally. Springtails are wingless hexapods with many North American species having wide distributions ranging from as far as Alaska to Mexico. Here, we analyze the occurrence and intraspecific diversity of springtails with a globular body shape (Symphypleona and Neelipleona), in southern high Appalachia, a significant biodiversity hotspot. The peaks of high Appalachia represent ‘sky islands’ due to their physical isolation, and they host numerous endemic species in other taxa. We surveyed globular Collembola through COI metabarcoding, assessing geographic and genetic diversity across localities and species. Intraspecific diversity in globular Collembola was extremely high, suggesting that considerable cryptic speciation has occurred. While we were able to associate morphospecies with described species in most of the major families in the region (Dicyrtomidae, Katiannidae, Sminthuridae, and Sminthurididae), other families (Neelidae, and Arrhopalitidae) are in more pressing need of taxonomic revision before species identities can be confirmed. Due to poor representation in databases, and high intraspecific variability, no identifications were accomplished through comparison with available DNA barcodes.

Diversity and Abundance of Soil Collembola during GM Rice Overexpressing Cry1B-Cry1Aa Cultivations at Four Confined Field Trials in West Java.

Collembola (springtails) is an important soil biology indicator to monitor toxicity or ecological disturbances in the ecosystem. The impact of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) rice cv Rojolele events expressing Cry1B-Cry1Aa driven by the maize ubiquitin promoter resistant to yellow rice stem borer (YSB, Scirpophaga incertulas Walker) on non-target Collembola community was assessed. The experiment was performed at four locations under confined field trials according to the Indonesia's environmental safety regulation on genetically engineered crops. Six transgenic rice events were tested with non-transgenic Rojolele and the moderately resistant IR42 rice varieties as controls. The experimental design was randomised block design with three replicates. Collembola were collected from the bunds between plots using pitfall and Berlese funnel traps at seedling, vegetative and generative stages, as well as at harvesting time. The results showed that Collembola abundance and diversity were significantly affected by both experimental sites and observation times. However, no significant differences in Collembola diversity and abundance between Bt rice and non-Bt controls were observed. Thus, we can conclude that the cultivation of the Bt rice cv Rojolele events expressing Cry1B-Cry1Aa protein fusion do not adversely affect biodiversity and abundance of Collembola at the four confined rice fields.