Litter Mesofauna Research Articles

Impact of abiotic factors on the litter and soil mesofauna abundance in the Leucaena leucocephala (Lam) de Wit plantations

An experiment was conducted in an undisturbed Leucaena leucocephala (Lam)de Wit (subabul) plantation ecosystem to study the impact of abiotic factors on the distribution of litter and soil mesofauna. The findings revealed a significant correlation between the abundance of soil and litter mesofauna and abiotic factors. In the natural subabul plantation, the soil mesofauna population ranged from 38.00 (1st fortnight) to 307.00 /400g (11th fortnight), with a mean population of 123.48 /400g. Similarly, the litter mesofauna population ranged from 19.67 (12th fortnight) to 1013.33 /100g (9th fortnight), with a mean population of 211.52/100g. Soil temperature at 7 and 14 hours significantly negatively correlated with soil mesofauna. The distribution of soil mesofauna was impacted by abiotic factors up to 97 per cent, with in-situ soil temperature showing an impact of up to 74.1 per cent. A unit change in soil temperature would lead to a decrease of 18.23 units of soil mesofauna. Additionally, atmospheric maximum relative humidity and this abiotic factor impacted 83 per cent of soil mesofauna, while soil moisture and these two abiotic factors impacted 92.6 per cent of soil mesofauna abundance. All three factors exhibited a negative impact on soil mesofauna. On the other hand, rainfall showed a significant positive relationship with litter mesofauna, whereas in-situ soil temperature showed a significant negative relationship. Furthermore, abiotic factors contributed to 69.6 per cent of the abundance of litter mesofauna, with rainfall showing an influence of up to 40 per cent. A unit change in rainfall would increase 3.122 units in litter mesofauna abundance.

Leaf litter decomposition and litter fauna in urban forests: Effect of the degree of urbanisation and forest size

Urbanisation is an important driver of environmental change and has the potential to alter the functioning of ecosystem processes. In urban forests, a key ecosystem process is litter decomposition, which is driven by the litter quality and composition of litter fauna. We examined whether the degree of urbanisation and forest size influence litter decomposition rates by the mesofauna in Basel (Switzerland). In order to assess the impact of the litter mesofauna on decomposition rates, we exposed litterbags with three mesh sizes (100 μm, 2 mm, and 4 mm) filled with a mixture of Acer pseudoplatanus, Fagus sylvatica, and Fraxinus excelsior litter for a period of 9 months in 17 forests of different size located in areas with different degrees of urbanisation. We recovered the litterbags after 3, 6, and 9 months, extracted the fauna and assessed the decomposition rates. We found that litter decomposition rates were negatively affected by the degree of urbanisation after 6 months, but not impacted by forest size. In terms of litter fauna, oribatid mites and Collembola were differently affected by urbanisation. Oribatid mites were most frequent in forests in moderately urbanised areas, whereas Collembola were more abundant in forests in highly urbanised areas. Abundances of Acari and Oribatida were lowest in medium-sized forests, while the abundance of Collembola was highest in large forests. Collembola species composition did not shift with urbanisation. Considering Collembola traits, species with globular bodies were most abundant in forests of medium-size and situated in low urbanised areas, whereas species with an eudaphic life form tended to be less abundant in small forests. We showed that urbanisation and forest size have the potential to impact litter fauna abundance and species with certain morphological and life form traits, which may alter the important ecosystem service of litter decomposition.

Acacia mangium increases the mesofauna density and diversity in the litter layer in Eucalyptus grandis plantations

The introduction of Acacia mangium in Eucalyptus grandis plantations improves the ecosystem services performed by microorganisms. However, the influence of these mixed plantations on epigeic mesofauna remains poorly understood. We hypothesized that the intercropping between E. grandis and A. mangium increases the epigeic mesofauna density and diversity. Our aim was to evaluate the mesofaunal density and diversity in the litter in order to establish correlations between mesofaunal, chemical attributes and seasonality in Acacia mangium (AC), Eucalyptus grandis (EU), and intercropping between E. grandis and A. mangium (M). We selected three plots of each system and collected five litter and five soil samples in two periods, October 2015 and March 2016, considered respectively as beginning of the rainy and of the dry season. In general, the mesofaunal orders correlated positively with AC, and negatively with EU. In March 2016, we sampled 12 times more invertebrates in litter than in October, possibly due to the differences in climatic conditions, since the litter moisture was higher in March than in October. We also found a higher C/N ratio and Mn content in the EU and a higher N content in AC. Thus, these chemical litter attributes seem to strongly affect the litter mesofauna community, since in March we found lower mesofaunal density and diversity in EU and higher mesofaunal density and diversity in AC. Therefore, we recommend the intercropping between E. grandis and A. mangium because it allows for the development of orders exclusive to AC plantations such as Symphyla, Protura and Pseudoscorpionida.

Competition and Intraguild Predation Between Beetles, Pterostichus stygicus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and Centipedes, Scolopocryptops sexspinosus (Scolopemdromorpha: Scolopocryptopidae)

AbstractStudying interactions between distantly related species is necessary to understand the complexity of food webs. Generalist predator interactions, such as intraguild predation (IGP) and competition, can alleviate predation pressure and weaken top–down control that predators have on lower trophic levels. Centipedes (Chilopoda) and carabid beetles (Coleoptera) are common deciduous forest floor generalist predators that may interact by competing for resources beneath rocks and logs on the forest floor, especially during dry periods when prey become confined to such microhabitats. We used laboratory and field studies to determine whether the carabid beetle, Pterostichus stygicus (Say), and the centipede, Scolopocryptops sexspinosus (Say) co-occur under artificial cover. Additionally, a laboratory mesocosm experiment was used to examine competitive interactions in intra- and interspecific trials. There was significant negative co-occurrence of beetles and centipedes beneath cover objects in the field and laboratory. Pairings of S. sexspinosus and P. stygicus within mesocosms resulted in high mortality of P. stygicus, and reciprocal but asymmetric IGP. Centipedes maintained weight within solitary, intra- and interspecific mesocosm treatments, however, beetles lost mass in all treatments. Scolopocryptops sexspinosus responded more favorably to intra- and interspecific competition than did P. stygicus. Analysis of the leaf litter mesofauna indicated that these predators consumed similar prey in laboratory mesocosms. Our results suggest that species with very different trophic morphology have the potential to compete for shared microhabitat and prey.

POPULASI DAN KEANEKARAGAMAN MESOFAUNA SERASAH DAN TANAH AKIBAT PERUBAHAN TUTUPAN LAHAN HUTAN DI RESORT PEMERIHAN TAMAN NASIONAL BUKIT BARISAN SELATAN

This research was conducted to study about abundance and diversity of soil and litter mesofauna to the effect of forest cover change that occurred in the Pemerihan Resort, Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park. This research was compiled in a completely randomized design (CRD) and there were four different lands, which were: (1) primary forest, (2) coffee plantation, (3) corn field, and (4) grassland. The observation of mesofauna was taken in soil and litter from four different lands cover. The variable of observation were mesofauna abundance and diversity index, soil chemical properties (pH, organic carbon, total nitrogen, P available, and exchanged potassium), and soil physics properties (bulk density, soil temperature, humidity, and porosity). Data were analyzed using F test and further test using least significant differences (LSD) at 5%. The results showed that the different of lands cover affect the diversity index of litter mesofauna, the abundance of litter and soil mesofauna, yet did not affect the diversity index of mesofauna underground. However, the abundance and diversity index of soil and litter mesofauna in the primary forest was higher than the other lands.

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

Influence of litter thickness on the structure of litter macrofauna of deciduous forests of Ukraine’s steppe zone

The litter in a forest ecosystem acts as a trophic substrate, and at the same time it is the environment for litter invertebrates. But despite this fact, there has been very little research conducted on the influence of litter thickness on the structure of litter macrofauna. The litter of steppe forests contains most types of integrated communities of forest ecosystems. This means that its thickness cannot avoid playing a significant role in the functioning of the ecosystem. Following to the standard methodologies, Invertebrates were collected using pit-fall traps in deciduous forests of Nikolaev, Zaporizhzhya, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Kharkiv oblasts, which are characterized by different types of geomorphological profile, different moisture conditions, soil salinity, tree crown and herbaceous vegetation density, soil texture and other factors. The total number of macrofauna increases in conditions where litter thickness exceeds40 mmin comparison with forest ecosystems with fragmented and average capacity litter. The number of litter macrofauna species also increases from 11–23 to 38 species on average when litter thickness increases to more than40 mm. The Shannon and Pielou diversity indexes show no definite tendencies to change in relation to changing degrees of litter thickness. At sites of greater thickness of the litter layer, the corresponding increase in the absolute number of litter mesofauna invertebrates is mostly due to saprophages, and the increase the number of species – due to zoophages. The optimum structure of domination was observed at sites with maximum thickness of litter. The proportion of large species shows no statistically significant change in relation to variations in litter thickness. The qualitative compound of the fauna at sites with thick litter changes mainly due to an increase in the number of Carabidae species.

Influence of moisture conditions and mineralization of soil solution on structure of litter macrofauna of the deciduous forests of Ukraine steppe zone

The accounting of litter mesofauna was carried out in the territory of Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhya, Nikolaev,Donetsk regions of Ukrainein the natural forest ecosystems in 2001–2014. 339 forest ecosystems were surveyed; xeromesophilic conditions of moistening were characteristic for 47 trial sites, mesophilic conditions – for 99 sites, hygro-mesophilic conditions – for 50 sites, meso-hygrophilic conditions – for 89 sites, hygrophilic conditions – for 54 sites; trophotope C was represented by 35 trial sites, Dc – by 44, Dac – by 76, Dn – by 128, De – by 37, E – by 19 forest ecosystems, accordingly. The relative number of saprophages reaches maximum values in hygro-mesophilic, meso-hygrophilic and hygrophilic conditions, and minimum values – in mesophilic conditions of moistening. The share of rare species is maximum in hygro-mesophilic conditions of moistening. The minimum quantity of mass species is also observed in conditions of hygro-mesophilic and meso-hygrophilic deciduous forests. With the growth of moistening of the soil, quantity of species of Carabidae, Formicidae and other dominant families remains without significant changes. The relative number of Formicidae is maximum in xeromesophilic and mesophilic conditions of soil moistening. In these hygrotopes, as well as in hygro-mesophilic conditions of moistening the Julidae numbers are maximum. The Isopoda percent in mesofauna significantly grows in meso-hygrophilic and hygrophilic conditions of moistening. The share of other dominant taxonomical groups in the structure of litter mesofauna remains without significant changes in numbers. In the majority of the analysed hygrotopes 7–8 families are withing the structure of dominants. In the conditions of salinization (trophotopes De and E), and also on light sandy loam soils, the numbers of litter mesofauna decrease. Share of saprophages is minimum in trophotopes Dc and E, while it increases in trophotopes C, Dac, Dn and De. The dimensional structure of litter mesofauna of trophotopes Dac and Dn comes nearer to optimum. The maximum quantity of Carabidae species is revealed in Dn trophotope. The quantity of Formicidae species increases in trophotopes De and E. The number of Formicidae species is maximum in the forest ecosystems of trophotopes De and E. The share of Isopoda is maximum in the forest ecosystems of trophotope De.

The influence of litter composition across the litter–soil interface on mass loss, nitrogen dynamics and the decomposer community

Many studies have investigated the influence of plant litter species composition on decomposition, but results have been context-dependent. Litter and soil are considered to constitute a decomposition continuum, but whether litter and soil ecosystems respond to litter identity and mixing in the same manner is unsure. In a field experiment utilizing 5 litter species and their mixture, we investigated whether the effects of litter identity and mixing on mass loss, nutrient dynamics, and decomposer communities are consistent across the litter–soil interface. In monoculture, mass loss and nitrogen (N) dynamics in the litter layer corresponded to the underlying soil N availability, demonstrating the continuum of resources from litter to soil. Litter microbial biomass and mesofauna abundance tended to be greater on litter with a faster decay rate and greater N release. However, soil decomposer abundance and diversity were not greater with higher soil N, causing litter and soil communities to respond differently to litter identity. Non-additive mass loss and N dynamics were observed after 6 months, and were correlated with non-additive litter microbial community composition and litter mesofauna communities, but all other aspects of the litter community and all measures of the soil community were additive. Decomposer communities and N dynamics did not respond similarly to the litter mixture across the litter–soil interface. This study is one of the few to comprehensively examine how a litter mixture influences decomposition dynamics and communities across the soil–litter interface, including multiple taxa and trophic levels. Our results demonstrate that processes associated with decomposition are decoupled for litter and soil, particularly in that litter showed non-additivity in mass loss, N release and decomposer community, but soil responses were largely additive.

Трофічні зв’язки Pterostichus melanarius (coleoptera, carabidae) із домінантними видами безхребетних лісових екосистем степового Придніпров’я

Розглянуто особливості взаємозв’язків Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger, 1798) із представниками ґрунтово-підстилкової мезофауни. В умовах лісових екосистем степового Придніпров’я P. melanarius віддає перевагу зоофагам І порядку, які належать до розмірно-вагової категорії 8,0–31,9 мг, а також сапро- та фітофагам із вагою понад 128 мг. P. melanarius (Ill.) здатний перерозподіляти трофічне навантеження між кормовими об’єктами залежно від їх чисельності у конкретному біотопі. Для дослід­женого виду характерна надзвичайно широка трофічна ніша порівняно з іншими видами турунів, що є однією з основних причин високої чисельності P. melanarius (Ill.) у багатьох антропогенно трансформованих екосистемах.

Трофічна структура підстилкової мезофауни: розподіл біомаси за трофічними рівнями

На основі досліджень підстилкової мезофауни чотирьох лісових біогеоценозів Полтавської області побудовано трофічно-вагові моделі угруповань безхребетних. Проаналізовано розподіл біомаси за трофічними рівнями, розмірну і таксономічну структуру окремих рівнів. Охарактеризовано відмінності та спільні риси трофічно-вагових моделей угруповань безхребетних.

Особливості формування багатовидових угруповань підстилкових безхребетних тварин острова Хортиця (Запорізька область)

Досліджено особливості формування фауни підстилкових безхребетних тварин в умовах національного заповідника «Хортиця». Встановлено, що розподіл таксономічних груп різного рівня (родини та види) у підстилковій мезофауні підпорядкований як впливу внутрішньосистемних, так і зовнішніх відносно герпетобію чинників; найбільшій вплив на структуру угруповань здійснюють ступінь розвитку підстилкового горизонту та умови зволоження. Ступінь впливу екологічних чинників на різних таксономічних рівнях може відрізнятись.

Аналіз структури підстилкової мезофауни лісових біогеоценозів Полтавської області

На основі досліджень підстилкової мезофауни 48 обстежених лісових біогеоценозів охарактеризовано закономірності формування угруповань безхребетних на рівні видів і родин. Проаналізовано ступінь подібності пробних ділянок за таксономічною структурою герпетобію. Виявлено чинники, які впливають на формування підстилкової мезофауни лісових біогеоценозів Полтавської області.

Sewage Sludge Effects on Mesofauna and Cork Oak (Quercus suberL.) Leaves Decomposition in a Mediterranean Forest Firebreak

Effects of sewage sludge on litter mesofauna communities (Collembola and Acari) and cork oak (Quercus suber L.) leaf litter decomposition have been studied during 18 mo using litterbags in an in situ experimental forest firebreak in southeastern France. The sludge (2.74 t DM ha(-1) yr(-1)) was applied to fertilize and maintain a pasture created on the firebreak. Litterbag colonization had similar dynamics on both the control and fertilized plots and followed a typical Mediterranean pattern showing a greater abundance in spring and autumn and a lower abundance in summer. After 9 mo of litter colonization, Collembola and Acari, but mainly Oribatida, were more abundant on the sludge-fertilized plot. Leaf litter decomposition showed a similar pattern on both plots, but it was faster on the control plot. Furthermore, leaves from the fertilized plot were characterized by greater nitrogen content. Both chemical composition of leaves and sludges and the decomposition state of leaves have significantly affected the mesofauna community composition from each plot.

Lindane and Fenitrothion Reduce Soil and Litter Mesofauna on Piedmont and Appalachian Sites

Lindane applied to pines as an aqueous 0.5% spray for control of the southern pine beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann, caused long-term reductions in litter and soil mesofaunal populations in the mountains of North Carolina. Mites, collembolans, and other arthropod fauna did not return to pretreatment numbers for at least 2 yr, and soil mesofauna remained below initial populations even after 963 d. Although lindane remained in the litter and soil for about 3 yr, it did not move downslope in quantities that threatened water quality. In the Piedmont, aqueous 0.5% lindane and 2.0% fenitrothion were applied directly to the forest floor. Although initial fenitrothion residues were 7.5 times greater than those of lindane, the transient nature of these residues and reduced effects on mites and collembolans indicate it has a shorter-term effect on soil and litter fauna.