Diversity Of Soil Mesofauna Research Articles

Diversity of soil mesofauna at various ages of post-tin mining reclamation land on Bangka Island

Soil mesofauna can be used as an indicator of soil fertility on post-tin mining reclamation land. The diversity of soil mesofauna depends on climatic conditions and soil characteristics at its habitat. The purpose of this study were to determine the diversity of soil mesofauna at various ages of post-tin mining reclamation on Bangka Island and to determine the relationship of soil mesofauna diversity at various ages of post-tin mining reclamation land on Bangka Island with the soil characteristics. This research was carried out in January-March 2021 in reclamation land with different ages (2 years, 4 years, 6 years and 26 years) and forest site as control (comparison data). The method used is a survey method and sampling with a stratified random sampling method using pifall trap. The results showed that the diversity of soil mesofauna in reclamation aged 2 years, 4 years and 6 years, and control forest was in the medium category while the 26 years old reclamation land indicated as low diversity. The age of reclamation affects the soil mesofauna’s diversity index, the higher the age of reclamation land have higher diversity index, except for the 26 years old reclamation. The soil mesofauna diversity index has a very high correlation with soil and air moisture, a very low correlation with air temperature, a moderate correlation between air temperature and soil pH, while the C-organic content is opposite or negatively correlated with the diversity index and evenness index of the soil mesofauna.

Effects of different management practices of organic uphill grasslands on the abundance and diversity of soil mesofauna

Effects of different management practices of organic uphill grasslands on the abundance and diversity of soil mesofauna

Land-Use Types Influence the Community Composition of Soil Mesofauna in the Coastal Zones of Bohai Bay, China

Soil faunal communities play key roles in maintaining soil nutrient cycling. Affected by different land-use types, soil environment and soil faunal communities change significantly. However, few studies have focused on the aforementioned observations in coastal zones, which provide suitable habitats for many species of concern. Here, we investigated the changes in soil mesofaunal communities under different land-use types, including cotton fields, jujube trees, ash trees, a saline meadow, and wetlands. The variations in land-use types affected the community composition and diversity of soil mesofauna in the coastal zones. The taxa of soil mesofauna had different responses to land-use types in the coastal zones. Isotomidae was regarded as an indicator taxon of the coastal cropland regions. Entomobryidae was considered to be an indicator taxon of coastal artificial trees. Meanwhile, Onychiuridae and three taxa (Brachycera, Armadillidiidae, and Gammaridae) were indicator taxa of the coastal terrestrial ecosystem and the coastal wetland ecosystem, respectively. Thus, we suggested that specific soil mesofaunal taxa were considered to be appropriate bioindicators for land-use types in the coastal zones. The results of this study were helpful to develop guidelines for coastal biodiversity and ecosystem conservation in the future.

Litter nitrogen concentration changes mediate effects of drought and plant species richness on litter decomposition.

Biodiversity loss, exotic plant invasion and climatic change are three important global changes that can affect litter decomposition. These effects may be interactive and these global changes thus need to be considered simultaneously. Here, we assembled herbaceous plant communities with five species richness levels (1, 2, 4, 8 or 16) and subjected them to a drought treatment (no, moderate or intensive drought) that was factorially combined with an invasion treatment (presence or absence of the non-native Symphyotrichum subulatum). We collected litter of these plant communities and let it decompose for 9months in the plant communities from which it originated. Drought decreased litter decomposition, while invasion by S. subulatum had little impact. Increasing species richness decreased litter decomposition except under intensive drought. A structural equation model showed that drought and species richness affected litter decomposition indirectly through changes in litter nitrogen concentration rather than by altering quantity and diversity of soil meso-fauna or soil physico-chemical properties. The slowed litter decomposition under high species diversity originated from a sampling effect, specifically from low litter nitrogen concentrations in the two dominant species. We conclude that effects on litter decomposition rates that are mediated by changing concentrations of the limiting nutrient in litter need to be considered when predicting effects of global changes such as plant diversity loss.

EFFECTS OF SOIL PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES ON BIODIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF SOIL INVERTEBRATES

Soil invertebrates are bioindicators that characterize environmental changes due to high ecologicaland species diversity, close contact with the soil, high sensitivity and rapid response to changes inenvironmental parameters. This article presents the results of studies conducted in the biogeocenosesof the foothills of the beyond Ile Alatau in the period from 2018 to 2020. The parameters that affectthe distribution and species composition of earthworms in various biogeocenoses are determined: soilmoisture, organic matter index and pH of the environment. The family Lumbricidae is widely distributedin all biocenoses, although the predominant distribution is in the floodplain meadow. The humuscontent in the soils of this biocenosis is 3.26±0.30%, and the humidity is 14.56±2.58%. As a resultof the study, 8 species of earthworms of the family Lumbricidae were identified, belonging to 5 genera:Octolasium lacteum, Eisenia foetida, Eisenia nordenskioldi, Nicodrilus caliginosus, Nicodrilus longus,Lumbricus rubellus, Lumbricus terrestris, Dendrobaena octaedra. The ratio of invertebrate groups in thesoil varies throughout the season. Earthworms are found in the soils of biogeocenoses from June to September. Changes in environmental conditions contribute not only to the distribution and diversity of soilmesofauna, but also to their seasonal dynamics. Key words: soil mesofauna, earthworm, foothills of the beyond Ile Alatau, biogeocenosis, physical and chemical parameters.

Abundance and diversity of soil mesofauna in six municipalities of Norte de Santander, Colombia

Introduction- The edaphic mesofauna intervenes in the decomposition processes of organic matter, constituting an important characteristic of soil quality. Objective-. Characterize the soil mesofauna in six municipalities of Norte de Santander Methodology. The present study was developed in 15 farms of the municipalities; Arboledas, Convencion, La Playa, La Esperanza, Ocaña and Mutiscua in the Department of Norte de Santander where 18 agroecological models would be established (3 / municipality). The abundance and diversity of the mesofauna were characterized before establishing the crops, comparing the situation of the main groups by municipalities. Results- In Arboledas the highest abundance of mesofauna was observed, with the presence of six classes, with detritive habits Crustacea, Collembola, Anelida, Symphyla and Arachnia: Oribatida, while in Esperanza and Mutiscua there were four classes; Insecta, Collembola, Symphyla and Arachnida and in the rest, the last three, which gives a measure of the processes of decomposition of organic matter and recycling of nutrients in these farms. Conclusions: In five municipalities, the highest abundance of mesofauna corresponded to the Collembola class, while Insecta was more abundant in Esperanza and ranked second in Mutiscua, Symplyla was second in Convencion, and La Playa and Arachnida in Ocaña and Arboledas. The specific richness varied from 5.0 for Convencion and Ocaña to 28 for Arboledas and the diversity of species from 0.91 in Convencion to 3.54 in Arboledas, a municipality that was statistically separated from the rest, leaving Mutiscua and Esperanza intermediate concerning the rest.

Integrated farming system of cattle and oil palm plantation increasing population and diversity of soil fauna in Ultisols soils

Integrated farming system is an agricultural practice that must be done for sustainable agriculture. The objectives of the research were to compare the population and diversity of soil meso fauna in the oil palm plantations applying with integrated farming system of cattle and oil palm plantation (IFSCO) and without IFSCO (non-IFSCO) in Ultisols soil. The research was conducted in two oil palm plantations, i.e. oil palm plantation with IFSCO (5 ha) and without IFSCO (non-IFSCO) (5 ha) applications which were located in the Karya Makmur Village, Tulang Bawang District, Lampung, Indonesia. The research was arranged using surveys and with systematic methods for sampling soil, earthworm, and mesofauna. Population of earthworm and soil mesofauna were enumerated by hand sorting methods and trapped with Barlese-Tullgreen funnel, respectively. The results showed that the application of IFSCO had a higher population and biomass of earthworm as well as abundance and diversity of soil mesofauna than that non-IFSCO. There are two types of dominant earthworms and 12 species of mesofauna in IFSCO soil, and 9 species in that of non-IFSCO. Several physical and chemical properties of soils are positively correlated with the presence of these soil fauna.

Soil mesofauna amount and diversity by returning fresh and compost of crops biomass waste in ultisols in-situ

Abstract. Barus J, Meithasari D, Lumbanraja J, Sudarsono H, Hidayat KF, Dermiyati. 2021. Soil mesofauna amount and diversity by returning fresh and compost of crops biomass waste in ultisols in-situ. Biodiversitas 21: 92-98. Newly added organic matter to the soil often has no significant effect on the physical and chemical properties of the soil. However, the addition of organic matter greatly affects the abundance and diversity of living organisms in the soil, because the addition of organic matter is one of the sources of food. The aim of this research was to study the impact of returning crop biomass waste in fresh or compost forms on the abundance and diversity of soil mesofauna. Three types of crop biomass residues (i.e. maize stover, rice straw, and soybean stover) were used at doses of 0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10 t ha-1. Mesofauna observations were carried out three times, namely at two weeks after biomass waste application (before planting rice), at eight weeks (there were rice plants in the soil), and at fourteen weeks (after rice harvest). The soil sample for mesofauna observation was dry extracted using a Berlese funnel set up, and to calculate and identified using a binocular microscope. The result showed that the number and diversity of mesofauna in the addition of compost was higher than that of fresh biomass waste. Increasing the dose of biomass waste has an effect on increasing the number and diversity of soil mesofauna. The presence of rice plants in the soil at the time of observation also affected the abundance of soil mesofauna.

Soil quality and mesofauna diversity relationship are modulated by woody species and seasonality in semiarid oak forest

The relationships between woody species, soil biota activity and soil quality were largely ignored in semi-arid areas. This study evaluated the influence of life form and seasonal variation on the mesofauna activity and soil chemical and microbial properties under three tree species (Quercus brantii (QU), Acer monspessulanum (AC) and Pistacia atlantica (PI), and three shrub species (Crataegus puntica (CR), Amygdalus scoparia (AM) and Lonicera nummularifolia (LO)) in a semiarid oak forest in western Iran. Soils were sampled beneath each individual woody species in spring and winter. Soil chemical and biological properties and soil mesofauna diversity were measured and soil quality index (SQI) was produced. The comparison of soil chemical properties under tree and shrub species showed that only soil total nitrogen (Ntot), available potassium (Kava) and soil organic carbon (SOC) were significantly higher under trees than shrubs (respective mean values for spring: 0.31 vs 0.19%; 1304 vs 1103 mg/kg, 3.94 vs 3.16%). In contrast, all of the studied soil biological characteristics including microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), basal respiration (BR), and substrate induced respiration (SIR) were significantly higher under trees than under shrubs (respective mean values for spring in mg/kg soil/day: 603.5 vs 431.2, 49.6 vs 35, 46 vs 35 and 57.6 vs 36.5). Besides, we found clear seasonal and species effects for most soil properties. Values were higher in spring than in winter and were the most similar for QU and AC for tree species (especially due to the higher content of SOC and MBN under these species in spring) and for AM and LO for shrub species. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index and richness of the soil mesofauna were significantly higher under trees than under shrubs (respective mean values for spring: 1.59 vs 1.09 and 6.5 vs 3.8). The Shannon-Wiener diversity and richness indices for soil mesofauna were positively linearly related to the soil quality index (SQI) in spring and winter. These relationships were weaker in winter than in spring and showed an increase of both indices from shrubs (LO, AM and CR) with low SQI values to trees (QU and AC) with higher SQI values. Based on these results, we conclude that these indices can be used as efficient soil bioindicators which can be helpful in restoration or conservation projects in semi-arid areas.

Soil Mesofauna Respond to the Upward Expansion of Deyeuxia purpurea in the Alpine Tundra of the Changbai Mountains, China.

Deyeuxia purpurea, a low-altitude species, has been expanding upwards into alpine tundra, and this upward expansion is causing serious ecological consequences. However, few studies have been performed regarding its effects on soil faunal communities. We examine how the upward expansion of D. purpurea affects the abundance, richness, and diversity of soil mesofauna, and evaluate how different taxa of soil mesofauna respond to the upward expansion of D. purpurea in the alpine tundra of Changbai Mountains, northeast China. A total of 128 soil mesofaunal samples were collected from four treatments, namely high upward expansion (HU), medium upward expansion (MU), low upward expansion (LU), and native plant habitats (NP). The results revealed that the abundance of soil mesofauna was increased with the rise of D. purpurea upward expansion, and the taxonomic composition varied with the different levels of D. purpurea upward expansion in the alpine tundra of the Changbai Mountains. No unique taxa were collected in the native plant habitats, and the upward expansion of D. purpurea promoted the colonization of predatory invertebrates. Isotomidae and Gamasida responded positively to the herbaceous plant upward expansion, and thus they were considered to be a positive indicator of upward expansion. Hypogastruridae and Enchytraeidae responded relatively negatively, while Oribatida, Actinedida, and Pseudachorutidae had ambivalent responses to the upward expansion. Overall, the abundance of soil mesofauna can indicate the levels of the upward expansion of D. purpurea. Soil mesofaunal guild characteristics were altered by the upward expansion. The different taxa of soil mesofauna responded to herbaceous plants’ upward expansion to various degrees. Therefore, this study provide evidence supporting the fact that the abundance of soil mesofauna can indicate the levels of upward expansion of D. purpurea, but the responses of soil mesofauna to the upward expansion of D. purpurea differ among their taxa.

Abundance and diversity of soil mesofauna under tillage system in maize plantation at Ultisols soil

Intensification land use with the conventional tillage can bring effects in the soil biodiversity. One of important organisms in soil is soil mesofauna that has an important role in decomposition of organic matter. This research aimed to study the effect of minimum tillage and full tillage on the abundance and diversity of soil meso fauna. The treatments were consisted of soil tillage (minimum tillage and full tillage) and herbicide (with and without herbicide Glifosat 2,4-D) with four replications. The location of this research have soil organic-C and total-N classified in the low criteria. The results show that the application of minimum tillage to prepare maize plantation reached significantly lowest abundance of soil mesofauna compared to full tillage in vegetative phase of maize sampling, however it was not significantly different between minimum tillage and full tillage if it combined with herbicide. Diversity index in full tillage were significantly higher that that in minimum tillage, on the contrary, the dominance index of soil mesofauna were not significantly different between tillage system. On the generative phase, there were no differences on the abundances of soil mesofauna between tillage sistem. There were three dominant mesofauna orders, namely Acarina, Collembola, and Diplopod.

Interactions between mesofauna, microbiological and chemical soil attributes in pure and intercropped Eucalyptus grandis and Acacia mangium plantations

The introduction of nitrogen-fixing trees in a mixed system with Eucalyptus can improve soil chemical and microbiological properties, especially C-N contents and microbial diversity. However, the effects of this forest management on soil mesofauna remain poorly understood. Thus, we hypothesized that higher mesofauna abundance and diversity, microbial activity and soil quality are greater in the mixed plantation of Eucalyptus grandis and Acacia mangium than in pure Eucalyptus plantations. We aimed at evaluating the density and diversity of soil mesofauna, and its interaction with microbiological and chemical soil attributes in pure Acacia mangium (AC), Eucalyptus grandis (EU) and mixed E. grandis and A. mangium plantations (M). We also intended to adapt a general indicator of soil quality for such forest plantations. It is common for soil macrofauna studies to employ the general indicator of soil quality (GISQ). Since our study did not comprise soil macrofauna, but included only soil mesofauna, we adapted the GISQ to contemplate mesofaunal attributes, introducing the great interaction between them and microorganisms. Soil samples (0–5 cm) were collected at 2015, when trees were six years old. The only faunal order to show a higher density is Diplura. Our results show that the metabolic quotient (qCO2) is lower in AC, while the cation exchange capacity (CEC), H + Al and soil moisture are higher in AC than in EU and M. We verified that intercropping of A. mangium in E. grandis improves soil quality and our indicator showed that soil mesofauna correlates with soil microbial attributes density. Thus, our results provide a novel evidence of ecological interactions between soil mesofauna and microorganisms under field conditions for pure and mixed plantations of Eucalyptus grandis and Acacia mangium.

Effect of oil spillage on abundance and diversity of soil mesofauna in Bodo city, Niger Delta, Nigeria

Effect of oil spillage on abundance and diversity of soil mesofauna in Bodo city, Niger Delta, Nigeria

Establishment of oak seedlings in historically disturbed sites: Regeneration success as a function of stand structure and soil characteristics

The establishment and development of oak (Quercus spp.) seedlings are frequently impaired by site heterogeneity resulting from historical anthropogenic disturbances in Mediterranean basin woodlands. In particular, the alteration of forest structure and soil biotic and abiotic components can compromise the natural regeneration of Persian oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) in western Iran. This study aimed to investigate how soil properties, soil mesofauna diversity and stand structural indices differ between well and poorly regenerated areas. We sampled 105 plots in an oak woodland subjected to past disturbances but protected from human activities for the last 20 years. These 100-m2 plots were distributed into two groups: i) poorly regenerated plots (PRP) with only 0 or 1 newly established oak seedling, and ii) well regenerated plots (WRP) with ≥3 seedlings. In each plot, we characterized the forest structure using three structural indices, and determined the soil properties and mesofauna diversity. Structural indices were higher in WRP than in PRP for height (0.83 and 0.23), diameter differentiation (0.74 and 0.36) and species mixture (0.90 and 0.21). Also, richness and diversity of soil mesofauna were lower in PRP than in WRP.A canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) ordination clearly separated WRP, which were characterized by a clumped spatial distribution of mature oak trees on fertile soils, from PRP that exhibited a uniform spatial distribution of trees established on soils with a higher sand content (63 and 59%) and a higher bulk density (1.7 and 1.3).The uniform spatial distribution of trees, which was less favourable to oak seedling establishment, was inherited from intensive past human disturbances. To favour oak regeneration, we recommend applying management actions in cooperation with land-users, in particular the conservation of small patches of tree clumps to act as islands of fertility and seed sources.

Population and Diversity of Soil and Leaf Litter Mesofauna in Arable Soils at The Agriculture Experimental Field of University of Lampung

This research was conducted to study the population and diversity of soil and leaf litter mesofauna in arable soils under different types of vegetation and slope at the Agriculture Experimental Field (AEF) of University of Lampung. This study was designed to use the survey method. The soil and leaf litter samples were taken from different vegetation and slope classes. Observational variables included population and diversity index of soil mesofauna (H’), soil temperature, soil moisture content, soil pH, soil organic-C, soil total-N, and soil C/N ratio. The data of population distribution were presented in a boxplot diagram and the correlation between soil properties and mesofauna population or mesofauna diversity index were presented. The results showed that the most abundant soil mesofauna was observed in the plots with sugarcane vegetation, either sampled at the end of dry season (November 2015) or at the beginning of rainy season (April 2016). However, the highest number of leaf litter mesofauna was found in the plot with cassava vegetation. This result suggests that the cassava leaf litter most likely became the preferred substrate for mesofauna. In all treatments, the value of mesofauna diversity index (H‘) was categorized as low according to the Shannon-Weaver index. Two dominant orders frequently found in almost all vegetation types were Acarina and Collembola. The results of correlation analysis indicated that only soil pH sampled on November 2015 was positively correlated with the mesofauna population (range of pH 5.0 to 6.6). Soil moisture content sampled on November 2015 and soil C/N ratio sampled on April 2016 were positively correlated with the diversity index of soil mesofauna, respectively. Soil total-N sampled on November 2015 was negatively correlated with the soil mesofauna diversity index. The increase of leaf litter biomass appeared to promote the increase of the leaf litter mesofauna population, but not the diversity index.Keywords: diversity index, leaf litter, soil mesofauna, vegetation

Composition and Spatial Distribution of Soil Mesofauna Along an Elevation Gradient on the North Slope of the Changbai Mountains, China

The Changbai Mountains, located in northeastern China, show clear vertical zonation of vegetation types. Six different habitats, namely Pinus koraiensis mixed broad–leaved forest, Pinus koraiensis–Picea forest, spruce–fir forest, Betula ermanii forest, alpine meadow and alpine semi–desert, at elevations ranging from 780 to 2 480 m, covering almost all ecosystems on the north slope of the Changbai Mountains, were investigated to determine: i) whether or not the community composition of soil mesofauna varied significantly at different elevations; ii) if different soil mesofauna groups would respond differently to elevation and iii) which factors influenced the spatial distribution of soil mesofauna along elevation. Soil mesofauna were collected from each habitat in spring (May), summer (July) and autumn (September) of 2009. The soil mesofauna communities were comprised of at least 44 groups and were dominated by Acari and Collembola, followed by Coleoptera, Diptera larvae and Enchytraeidae. The composition, diversity and abundance of soil mesofauna varied among the six habitats. Meanwhile, significant seasonal variations were observed in the composition, abundance and diversity of the soil mesofauna in each habitat. The taxonomic richness and Shannon index were affected by elevation and soil properties, while the abundance was only significantly affected by soil properties. With regard to taxa, the habitats and seasons had significant effects on almost all the abundances of the major taxonomic groups. The abundance of more taxonomic groups was significantly influenced by the soil properties, while those of Geophilomorpha, Araneae and other taxa were affected by elevation. It is concluded that the composition and spatial distribution of the soil mesofauna varied along the elevation gradient on the north slope of the Changbai Mountains, which might be largely related to the variations of the plant community, soil properties and climate change resulting from the elevation gradient.

Diversity of soil mesofauna in northern taiga biogeocenosises of the Kamennaya River basin (Karelia)

The population of soil mesofauna in the basin of the small river subzone of the northern taiga (Karelia) has been investigated. It was shown that indexes of the number and mass of soil mesofauna in the landscape-ecological row ofbiogeocenosises are maximal in floodplain soils. The taxonomic composition and structure of domination of the soil mesofauna population depends on the location of biogeocenosis in the landscape: earthworms are dominants in riverine floodplain biogeocenosises, and larvae of elaterids and spiders prevail in the places outside of floodplains. The abundance of saprophytic invertebrates in floodplain biogeocenosises results in formation of humus of the mull type. A group of animals with mixed type of nutrition dominates in the places outside of floodplain soils that are related with humus of the moder-mor type. The population of rove beetles (Staphylinidae) allows the division of biogeocenosises into two groups according to their position in the landscape.

Soil fauna in grazed New Zealand hill country pastures at two management intensities

This study examined the influence of superphosphate fertiliser application and sheep stocking rate on the density and diversity of soil macro- and mesofauna, particularly earthworms and oribatid mites in two sheep-grazed New Zealand hill pastures. The low-intensity (LI) long-term experimental farmlet is managed with no fertiliser and a low sheep stocking rate (9 stock units/ha); the high-intensity (HI) farmlet receives 34 kg P/ha/yr and has a high sheep stocking rate (16 stock units/ha). Soil mesofaunal samples were collected at two depths (0–7.5 cm and 7.5–15 cm). Earthworm species, major mesofaunal groups and oribatid species were identified, and the trophic groups, body size, biomass, mode of reproduction and global distribution of oribatid species established. Soil fertility, temperature, moisture, and pasture composition were also measured. The study tested the hypotheses that intensive pasture will have fewer native species, and among Oribatida, lower proportion of fungivores, higher proportion of asexuals, and higher proportion of smaller species with shorter life cycles. The results reflect the complex effect of intensive pasture management on soil organisms. Earthworm densities were higher in the intensive pasture system, with the exception of endemic Octochaetus multiporus. The low-intensity pasture system, where soil C:N ratio was wider, sheep stocking rate was lower and earthworm numbers were lower, supported higher density and diversity of soil mesofauna and Oribatida, which were concentrated in the topsoil (0–7.5 cm depth). In the high-intensity pasture system the zone of biological activity was expanded vertically—the mesofauna and Oribatida, although lower overall in density and diversity, were more evenly distributed between the 0–7.5 cm and 7.5–15 cm soil depths, suggesting reduced effect of livestock treading and greater food availability at depth. Pastoral intensification influenced oribatid trophic structure, with fungivorous species dominant in LI and herbofungivorous species in HI pasture, which probably reflected underlying differences in food resources, such as more fresh root biomass in HI. There was some evidence suggesting a shift to short-lived, cosmopolitan, and asexually reproducing Oribatida in HI at 0–7.5 cm soil depth. Oribatid density (which reflected mesofaunal densities), overall diversity, trophic groups, life-history characteristics and especially vertical distribution were more sensitive to soil management regime than their community structure.

Diversity of Soil Meso-Fauna in Soil Dressed and No-Dressed Fields

Diversity of Soil Meso-Fauna in Soil Dressed and No-Dressed Fields

Short-term impact of forest soil compaction and organic matter removal on soil mesofauna density and oribatid mite diversity

This study examines the short-term impact of forest soil compaction and organic matter removal on soil mesofauna, in general, and oribatid mite species, in particular. Both soil compaction and organic matter removal reduced the density of soil mesofauna. Stem-only harvesting reduced total mesofauna densities by 20% relative to uncut forest values. A combination of whole-tree harvest and forest floor removal with heavy soil compaction significantly reduced total soil mesofauna densities by 93% relative to the uncut forest control. Removal of the forest floor represents a substantial loss of habitat for most soil mesofauna. The forest floor apparently buffered the mineral soil by limiting both the impact of soil compaction and fluctuations in soil temperature and moisture. The relative abundance of Prostigmata and Mesostigmata increased with treatment severity, whereas that of Oribatida decreased. Species richness of the oribatid mite fauna was reduced as the severity of treatments increased. The number of rare oribatid species (those representing <1% of the total oribatid mite sample) decreased by 40% or more relative to the uncut forest control. Evenness also decreased as treatment severity increased. Oppiella nova and Suctobelbella sp. near acutidens were the dominant oribatid species in both the forest floor and mineral soil, regardless of treatment. Soil compaction and organic matter removal significantly impacted the density and diversity of soil mesofauna and oribatid mite fauna in the short term at these study sites.