Soil Macrofauna Communities Research Articles

Diversity and Spatial-Temporal Distribution of Soil Macrofauna Communities Along Elevation in the Changbai Mountain, China.

The understanding of patterns of vertical variation and diversity of flora and fauna along elevational change has been well established over the past century. However, it is unclear whether there is an elevational distribution pattern for soil fauna. This study revealed the diversity and spatial-temporal distribution of soil macrofauna communities in different vegetation zones from forest to alpine tundra along elevation of the Changbai Mountain, China. The abundance, richness, and Shannon-Wiener diversity index of soil macrofauna communities were compared in four distinguished vegetation zones including the coniferous and broadleaved mixed forest zone, the coniferous forest zone, the subalpine dwarf birch (Betula ermanii) forest zone, and the alpine tundra zone. Soil macrofauna were extracted in May, July, and September of 2009. In each season, the abundance and richness of the soil macrofauna decreased with the ascending elevation. The Shannon-Wiener diversity indices of the soil macrofauna were higher in the vegetation zones of lower elevation than of higher elevation. Significant differences were observed in the abundance, richness, and Shannon-Wiener diversity index for the studied vegetation zones. Soil macrofauna congregated mainly to the litter layer in the low-elevation areas and in the 0-5 cm soil layer of the higher elevation areas. The results emphasized that the diversity of soil macrofauna communities decreased as the elevation increased and possess the distinct characteristics of zonation in the mountain ecosystem. The diversity and distribution of soil macrofauna communities were influenced by mean annual precipitation, altitude, annual radiation quantity, and mean annual temperature.

Topography of Spoil Heaps and Its Role in Plant Succession and Soil Fauna Presence

AbstractThe spoil heaps from brown coal mining without technical reclamation are interesting specific sites for ecological relationships observation. This research was aimed at investigating whether topographic features, which determine soil nutrient and moisture distribution, in combination with soil fauna (wireworm and earthworm) presence, affect plant community composition at a spontaneously revegetated post mining area with an undulating surface. Two sites of different age with three types of topographic features were selected, soil moisture and nutrient contents were measured, and plant community composition and soil macrofauna community were sampled at each position. Wireworms were present at all positions and were most abundant at the bottoms of waves at the younger site; their presence was correlated with the presence of several plant species with high palatability for wireworms, but the direction of the interaction is not clear. Earthworms were only present at the older site and had the highest abundance at flat sections. Earthworm presence affected the amount of nitrogen in soil - the highest nitrogen content was at the site with the highest earthworm density and was followed by a higher diversity of plant community. The plant community composition was generally correlated with plant available nutrient content - especially P and N. We infer that topographic features affect nutrient and soil fauna distribution, which consequently influences the plant community composition.

Soil macrofauna communities under plant cover in a no-till system in Thailand

The impact of no-till cropping systems with plant cover on soil macrofauna communities was assessed according to their abundance and biomass. The study was carried out in northeastern Thailand under a conventional cropping system (plow-based tillage), no-till cropping systems with plant cover (Brachiaria ruziziensis, Stylosanthes guianensis, S. guianensis associated with B. ruziziensis, rice straw) and under a natural dipterocarp forest. Soil macrofauna populations were sampled in 2007 (June and October) during the rainy season and at a beginning of the dry season, respectively. The results revealed that in the short term, the biological compartment responded quickly to the presence of plant cover, as shown by a significant increase in soil macrofauna abundance and total biomass. The highest mean total abundance (MTA) of 4224 individuals/m2 at the end of planting period (October 2007) was observed under S. guianensis cover and also the highest mean total soil macrofauna biomass (MTB) of 14.63 g/m2 was observed in the forest system in the same period. However, in the system of cultivation, the highest MTB of 11.33 g/m2 was observed under S. guianensis cover. Moreover, the change rate of soil macrofauna MTA was the highest under S. guianensis cover (+751.61%) and the change rate of soil macrofauna MTB revealed that this change rate was highest in forest (+430.07%). However, in the other systems of cultivation, the highest change rate of MTB was under S. guianensis cover (+12.96%).

Functional consequences of realistic extinction scenarios in Amazonian soil food webs

AbstractGlobal biodiversity loss is creating a more urgent need to understand the role organisms play in ecosystem functioning and mechanisms of control. Decomposition of dead organic matter is a key ecological process that ensures soil formation, nutrient availability, and carbon sequestration. To gain understanding of how biodiversity and ecosystems function together to control leaf‐litter decomposition processes in a tropical rain forest (Yasuní National Park, Ecuador), we predicted the consequences of the decomposition process using a protocol in which we systematically disassemble the structural functionality of the soil macrofauna communities. We (1) describe the structure and function of the edaphic communities in detail and (2) explore the functional consequences of structural changes in these communities using a non‐random exclusion experiment to simulate body size‐related extinctions. To do this, we manipulated access of five size classes of soil invertebrates to eight types of plant leaf‐litter resources. After measuring and identifying about 4400 soil individuals belonging to 541 morphospecies, 12 functional groups, and following the fate of about 2000 tree leaves in a 50‐ha plot, we showed that (1) soil invertebrate communities were composed of a few common and many rare morphospecies that included mostly leaf‐litter transformer groups, with the most morphospecies and the greatest abundance coming from Hymenoptera, Collembola, and Coleoptera; (2) our survey captured 63–74% of the total soil biodiversity of the study area (meaning there may be up to 860 morphospecies); (3) litter transformers covered the widest range of body volume, and all groups were evenly distributed at small and large spatial scales (i.e., we found no patterns of spatial aggregation); (4) changes in food web structure significantly altered biomass loss for only three of the eight leaf‐litter treatments, suggesting the decomposition process was highly resistant to drastic changes such as size‐biased biodiversity loss independent of resource quality. We conclude organic matter decomposition may depend on all non‐additive effects that arise from multi‐species interactions, including facilitation, interspecific interference competition, and top‐down control that predators exert over detritivores at all body size ranges.

黑龙江省不同纬度梯度农田大型土壤动物群落分布特征

黑龙江省不同纬度梯度农田大型土壤动物群落分布特征

Impact of dike age on biodiversity and functional composition of soilmacrofaunal communities in poplar forests in a reclaimed coastal area

Four patches of poplar forest with different dike histories (about 30 to 200 years) were selected from the coastal area of Yancheng, China, for detecting the effect of dike age on soil macrofauna. A total of 825 individuals belonging to 21 taxonomic groups were collected. Omnivorous, phytophagous, predaceous, and saprophagous groups were classified on the basis of diet. Higher biodiversity values were observed in the forests with longer dike histories (100 and 200 years) than in those with shorter dike histories (30 and 50 years). By principal coordinate analysis, the soil macrofaunal communities from the forests were distinguished as three groups with shorter or longer dike histories (30 years, 50 years, and above 100 years). One-way ANOSIM analysis revealed significant differences among soil macrofaunal communities (P < 0.050), except for those with longer dike histories (100 and 200 years, P = 0.217). The groups of omnivorous and predaceous macrofauna showed no significant differences in taxonomic richness and abundance among habitats, while significant differences were observed between the other functional groups. A significant difference in functional composition between the soil macrofaunal communities in the forests with dike ages of 30 and 100 years was found with the chi-square test (P = 0.027). The biodiversity and functional composition of soil macrofauna was significantly affected by dike age in the reclaimed coast.

大型土壤动物群落对短花针茅草原荒漠化过程的响应

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 大型土壤动物群落对短花针茅草原荒漠化过程的响应 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201311272829 作者: 作者单位: 包头师范学院,包头师范学院生物科学与技术学院,内蒙古农业大学生态环境学院 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家自然科学基金项目(41161040);内蒙古自然科学基金项目(2010MS0607) Response of soil macrofauna to desertification in Stipa breviflora desert steppe Author: Affiliation: Department of Resources and Environment,Baotou Teachers’ College,Department of Biological Science and Technology,Baotou Teachers’ College,College of Ecology and Environment,Inner Mongolia Agricultural University Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:土壤动物是草地生态系统的重要组分,对维持草地生态系统结构与功能的稳定性具有重要作用,研究土壤动物群落对草地荒漠化的响应有助于揭示地下与地上生态过程的联系,全面认识荒漠化的本质。选取鄂尔多斯高原西部未荒漠化(Ⅰ)、轻度荒漠化(Ⅱ)、中度荒漠化(Ⅲ)、重度荒漠化(Ⅳ)及极重度荒漠化(Ⅴ)5种短花针茅荒漠草原生境,采用手拣法对大型土壤动物群落进行了野外调查。共获得1门2纲6目25个土壤动物类群,优势类群为蚁科和金龟子总科幼虫,常见类群8个。结果显示,短花针茅荒漠草原大型土壤动物群落具有温带草原土壤动物群落的基本特征。在荒漠化进程中,大型土壤动物群落优势类群(蚁科和金龟子总科幼虫)未发生变化,但群落总个体密度和类群数显著下降(P < 0.01, P < 0.01),群落香浓多样性、丰富度和均匀度降低(P < 0.01, P < 0.01, P < 0.05),群落结构趋于简单。不同荒漠化生境土壤动物群落显示出明显的退化梯度,各土壤动物类群的分布揭示了它们对生境因子的偏好和响应模式的差异。短花针茅草原荒漠化对土壤动物垂直分布的影响具有由个体到类群、由表土层到下层的变化规律,但未改变土壤动物分布的表聚性。荒漠化导致的食物资源减少是蚁科动物个体密度变化的主要原因,轻度荒漠化(Ⅱ)最适宜蚁科动物生存,土壤全氮、有机质和地上生物量对步甲科和象甲科幼虫个体密度影响较大,重度荒漠化(Ⅳ)和极重度荒漠化(Ⅴ)生境将严重影响步甲科和象甲科幼虫的生存,但对金龟子总科和蜘蛛目动物个体密度影响不大。土壤动物与生境因子、生境及荒漠化进程之间的关系综合反应了草地生态系统退化过程。 Abstract:Soil fauna is an important component of grassland ecosystems and plays a key role in maintaining the stability of ecosystem structure and functioning. Studying the response of soil fauna to desertification may reveal the ecological linkage between aboveground and belowground processes, and improve our understanding of the ecological consequences of desertification. A survey of the soil macrofauna community was conducted by hand sorting at No-desertification(Ⅰ), Light-desertification(Ⅱ), Moderate-desertification(Ⅲ), Heavy-desertification(Ⅳ), and Extreme-desertification(Ⅴ) habitats in Stipa breviflora steppe. A total of 25 fauna groups belonging to 6 orders, 2 classes and 1 phylum were found. The dominant groups were Formicidae and Scarabaeidae larvae with 8 common groups. Soil macrofauna communities in the Stipa breviflora steppe were similar to those in other areas in temperate prairies. As desertification progressed, the dominant groups(Formicidae and Scarabaeidae larvae) did not change. However, the structure of soil macrofauna communities became simpler with total individual density and number of soil animal groups(P < 0.01, P < 0.01),biodiversity(P < 0.01),richness(P < 0.01)and evenness indices(P < 0.05) decreasing significantly. Soil fauna communities and soil animal groups in different habitats along a degradation gradient showed different preferences and responses to habitat factors. Desertification in the Stipa breviflora steppe affected the vertical distribution of soil fauna, with first affected individuals and then groups. The first effects were seen in the top layers and later in the deeper layers of the soil, but the highest faunal abundances were found in the top soil layers. The Light-desertification(Ⅱ) habitat was most preferred by the Formicidae, but food shortage resulting from desertification led to a decrease in Formicidae abundance. Soil total nitrogen, organic matter and aboveground dry biomass were the main factors affecting individual densities of Carabidae and Curculionidae larvae, which did not survive in Heavy-desertification(Ⅳ) and extreme-desertification(Ⅴ) habitats. Desertification had little effect on the total individual density of Scarabaeidae and Araneida. The degradation of grassland ecosystems was reflected by the relations among soil fauna, habitat factors, and desertification. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

ВЛИЯНИЕ РЕКРЕАЦИИ НА СООБЩЕСТВА ПОЧВЕННОЙ МЕЗОФАУНЫ ЛЕСОПАРКОВОЙ ЗОНЫ г. КАЗАНИ

ВЛИЯНИЕ РЕКРЕАЦИИ НА СООБЩЕСТВА ПОЧВЕННОЙ МЕЗОФАУНЫ ЛЕСОПАРКОВОЙ ЗОНЫ г. КАЗАНИ

五大连池药泉山大型土壤动物对旅游踩踏的响应

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 五大连池药泉山大型土壤动物对旅游踩踏的响应 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201603230518 作者: 作者单位: 哈尔滨师范大学;黑龙江大学,哈尔滨师范大学,黑龙江大学,北京林业大学 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家自然科学基金项目（41101048） Responses of soil macrofaunal communities to tourism trample in the Wudalianchi Yaoquan Mountains Author: Affiliation: Harbin Normal University;Heilongjiang University,Harbin Normal University,Heilongjiang University,Beijing Forestry University Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:以黑龙江省五大连池世界地质公园的药泉山为研究对象，按照距离游道的远近分为重度踩踏区，轻度踩踏区和非踩踏区3种踩踏干扰强度，分析大型土壤动物数量，群落组成，多样性对旅游踩踏干扰的响应。研究结果表明不同干扰区之间大型土壤动物类群数量差异显著（P<0.001），重度踩踏区显著低于轻度踩踏区和非踩踏区。不同干扰区大型土壤动物个体数差异明显（P<0.001），其中轻度踩踏区个体密度最大（68头/m2），重度踩踏区个体密度最小（10头/m2）。不同踩踏强度干扰区H’指数差异明显（P<0.05），轻度踩踏区及非踩踏区的多样性显著高于严重踩踏区。典型对应分析表明旅游踩踏主要通过改变土壤理化特性而影响大型土壤动物的组成及其多样性，重度踩踏区、轻度踩踏区和非踩踏区对大型土壤动物影响最显著的因子分别为土壤全氮含量，土壤含水率和土壤全磷含量。 Abstract:Trampling is widespread among various recreational activities, and this can become a significant problem as it represents a major disturbance affecting the vegetation and soil surface horizon. Soil macrofauna, mainly in the soil surface horizon, are good indicators for studying the impact of human activities. In the present study, Yaoquan Mountain of Wudalianchi World Geo-park was considered as a study example in 2012. The areas surrounding tourism trails were divided into no-trampling, mid-trampling, and high-trampling plots, which were divided based on three different interference types. The effect of human trampling on soil macrofaunal communities at a depth of 0-10 cm were studied along an increasing distance from the tourism trail of Yaoquan Mountain. A completely randomized design, including three replicates from three trampling interference sites, was used. Soil macrofauna were separated by hand, and were identified and counted. Soil bulk density, soil moisture content, soil organic matter content, total nitrogen content, and total phosphorus content were measured from each site. Our study evaluated the structure, composition, diversity, and distribution of soil macrofauna in three different tourism trample types, and assessed the impacts of human activity. The results were summarized as the following aspects:The total number of soil animal genera was significantly different in the three disturbance degree sites (P<0.001) and the least number of genera occurred in high trampling sites. The individual density of soil macrofauna was significantly different from the other kinds of soil animal fauna in the three disturbance degree sites (P<0.001), the maximum value was in the mid-trampling plots (68 ind./m2), and the minimum value was in the high-trampling sites (10 ind./m2). The Shannon index (H') of soil micro-fauna were seriously affected by trampling (P<0.05), and the high trampling sites had the lowest H' index. A canonical correspondence analysis indicated the soil macrofaunal distribution in the mid-trampling and high-trampling plots differed from the no-trampling plots. The main factor affecting soil macrofauna distribution was soil total nitrogen content, soil moisture content, and total phosphorus content in no-trampling, mid-trampling, and high-trampling plots, respectively. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Characteristics of soil macrofauna community and CCA analysis between soil macrofauna and soil properties in the wetlands of the Lhasa River basin

The aims of this study were to analyze the composition and diversity characteristics of soil macrofauna community and the response of soil macrofauna to soil properties in an alpine river wetland of the Lhasa River basin. Soil macrofauna were investigated in nine wetland habitats of the Lhasa River basin in September 2009 and 2010. The diversity characteristics of the soil macrofauna community were evaluated by the diversity indexes and One-way ANOVA. Soil macrofauna communities comprised at least 33 taxa and were dominated by Lumbricidae and Valloniidae. The diversity and evenness indexes of soil macrofauna community were in the ranges of 0.55–2.07 and 0.22–0.73, respectively. Soil macrofauna diversity was the highest in the Potentilla anseriana and Kobresia pygmaea habitats; followed by the Lancea tibetica and P. anseriana habitats; and the lowest diversities were found in the Caragana spinifera and K. pygmaea habitats. The non-metric multi-dimensional scaling analysis (MDS) showed that these nine soil macrofauna communities could be divided into three groups. The community structure dissimilarities between groups and similarities within a given group were significant. Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that soil organic matter, soil moisture content and pH were the main factors affecting the composition and diversity of soil macrofauna communities of the river wetlands on the Qinghai–Tibet plateau.

Litter chemistry prevails over litter consumers in mediating effects of past steel industry activities on leaf litter decomposition

Soil pollution has adverse effects on the performance and life history traits of microorganisms, plants, and animals, yet evidence indicates that even the most polluted sites can support structurally-complex and dynamic ecosystems. The present study aims at determining whether and how litter decomposition, one of the most important soil ecological processes leaf, is affected in a highly trace-metal polluted site. We postulated that past steel mill activities resulting in soil pollution and associated changes in soil characteristics would influence the rate of litter decomposition through two non-exclusive pathways: altered litter chemistry and responses of decomposers to lethal and sub-lethal toxic stress. We carried out a litter-bag experiment using Populus tremula L. leaf litter collected at, and allowed to decompose in, a trace metal polluted site and in three unpolluted sites used as controls. We designed a fully-factorial transplant experimental design to assess effects of litter origin and exposure site on the rate of litter decomposition. We further determined initial litter chemistry, fungal biomass, mesofauna abundance in litter bags, and the soil macrofauna community. Irrespective of the site of litter exposure, litter originating from the polluted site had a two-fold faster decomposition than litter from the unpolluted sites. Litter chemistry, notably the lignin content, seemed most important in explaining the degradation rate of the leaf litter. Abundance of meso and macro-detritivores was higher at the polluted site than at the unpolluted sites. However, litter decomposition proceeded at similar rates in polluted and unpolluted sites. Our results show that trace metal pollution and associated soil and litter changes do not necessarily weaken consumer control on litter decomposition through lethal and sub-lethal toxic stress.

Soil Macrofaunal Communities are Heterogeneous in Heathlands with Different Grazing Intensity

Moderate grazing by cattle increases the heterogeneity of soil and vegetation. This has been suggested as an ecologically sustainable mean of managing natural environments endangered by tree encroachment, such as heathlands. Our study was performed to test the impact of grazing intensity on soil macroinvertebrate communities in heterogeneous landscapes in a private property eligible to the Natura 2000 European Network of Special Protection Areas within the Brenne Natural Regional Park (Indre, France). We sampled macroinvertebrates along a broken line crossing 5 different land-use types, from pasture to pine forest, passing through a besom heath (Erica scoparia) heathland at 3 levels of cattle pressure. We hypothesized that: i) litter-dwelling (mostly arthropods and mollusks) and soil-dwelling macroinvertebrates (mostly earthworms) would respond in an opposite manner to various grazing intensities, and ii) intermediate cattle pressure (pastured heath) would increase soil and community heterogeneity. The results supported the first hypothesis, which was explained by land-use impacts mediated by soil properties. However, our results supported only partly the second hypothesis since maximum dissimilarity (whether in the composition of soil macroinvertebrate communities or in soil features) was observed in only one out of the two pastured heaths where cattle pressure was intermediate.

Soil macroinvertebrate communities and ecosystem services in deforested landscapes of Amazonia

Land use changes in the Amazon region strongly impact soil macroinvertebrate communities, which are recognized as major drivers of soil functions (Lavelle et al., 2006). To explore these relations, we tested the hypotheses that (i) soil macrofauna communities respond to landscape changes and (ii) soil macrofauna and ecosystem services are linked. We conducted a survey of macrofauna communities and indicators of ecosystem services at 270 sites in southern Colombia (department of Caqueta) and northern Brazil (state of Pará), two areas of the Amazon where family agriculture dominates. Sites represented a variety of land use types: forests, fallows, annual or perennial crops, and pastures. At each site we assessed soil macroinvertebrate density (18 taxonomic units) and the following ecosystem service indicators: soil and aboveground biomass carbon stock; water infiltration rate; aeration, drainage and water storage capacities based on pore-size distribution; soil chemical fertility; and soil aggregation. Significant covariation was observed between macrofauna communities and landscape metric data (co-inertia analysis: RV=0.30, p<0.01, Monte Carlo test) and between macrofauna communities and ecosystem service indicators (co-inertia analysis: RV=0.35, p<0.01, Monte Carlo test). Points located in pastures within 100m of forest had greater macrofauna density and diversity than those located in pastures with no forest within 100m (Wilcoxon rank sum test, p<0.01). Total macroinvertebrate density was significantly correlated with macroporosity (r2=0.42, p<0.01), as was the density of specific taxonomic groups: Chilopoda (r2=0.43, p<0.01), Isoptera (r2=0.30, p<0.01), Diplopoda (r2=0.31, p<0.01), and Formicidae (r2=0.13, p<0.01). Total macroinvertebrate density was also significantly correlated with available soil water (r2=0.38, p<0.01) as well as other soil-service indicators (but with r2<0.10). Results demonstrate that landscape dynamics and composition affect soil macrofauna communities, and that soil macrofauna density is significantly correlated with soil services in deforested Amazonia, indicating that soil macrofauna have an engineering and/or indicator function.

Effect of land cover on biodiversity and composition of a soil macrofauna community in a reclaimed coastal area at Yancheng, China

Reclamation was considered the primary factor that caused coastal wetland loss in China. Along with land conversion, there were different types of land cover on the reclaimed coast. In early March 2012, we selected 5 habitats with different land cover from a reclaimed coastal area at Yancheng City that was diked about 30 years before, and the biodiversity and composition variations in soil macrofauna communities were studied. We found that higher biodiversity values appeared in the uncultivated land, the poplar forest, and the metasequoia forest, while lower values occurred in the wheat farm and bulrush land. By multivariate statistical analysis, significant differences in comparisons of soil macrofauna communities were detected, except for in the comparison between the poplar forest and the metasequoia forest. Our findings indicated that the biodiversity of macrofauna was significantly affected by habitat characters and the vegetation cover was strongly related to soil macrofauna distribution patterns and community composition in the reclaimed coastal area.

Effects of Cultivation and Grazing Exclusion on the Soil Macro-faunal Community of Semiarid Sandy Grasslands in Northern China

Cultivation and overgrazing can cause desertification of sandy grasslands in arid and semiarid regions. However, little was known about their effects on soil macro-fauna. In this study, we described the soil macro-faunal community structure at cultivated, grazed, and ungrazed sites in the semiarid Horqin steppe, northern China. Soil bulk density was 1.61 g cm−3 at grazed sites, similar to that at cultivated sites. Cultivation reduced soil organic carbon and total nitrogen by 36 and 46%, respectively, compared with grazed grassland. Grazing exclusion decreased soil bulk density and pH by 16 and 3%, respectively, and increased soil moisture, soil organic carbon and total nitrogen by 75, 22, and 4%, respectively, compared with grazed grassland. Cultivated and grazed sites had similar group richness (9 and 10 groups, respectively) and Shannon's index (1.98 and 1.93, respectively); both were significantly lower there than at ungrazed sites. Simpson's index at grazed sites was 0.18, markedly higher than at ungrazed (0.12) and cultivated (0.16) sites. There were no significant differences in soil macro-faunal density among the three treatments, although the density at grazed sites was 24% higher than at cultivated sites and 30% lower than at ungrazed sites. Soil bulk density, electrical conductivity, pH, and the C/N ratio significantly affected the community structure. Specific macro-faunal groups responded to the different living conditions by adaptation to or selection of specific habitats. For example, the Thomisidae, Reduviidae, Staphilinidae, and Curculionidae responded negatively to increasing soil bulk density and all of these except the Curculionidae responded negatively to increasing soil temperature. These groups have important implications for the soil food web, and thus for the soil ecosystems. Our results suggested that cultivation and continuous grazing negatively affected soil properties and macro-faunal diversity, whereas livestock exclusion enhanced soil macro-faunal assemblies and improved their biodiversity. Changes in these assemblies might be potential indicators of ecosystem recovery and management impacts. Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Arid Land Research and Management to view the supplemental file.

Macrofauna assemblage composition and soil moisture interact to affect soil ecosystem functions

Changing climatic conditions and habitat fragmentation are predicted to alter the soil moisture conditions of temperate forests. It is not well understood how the soil macrofauna community will respond to changes in soil moisture, and how changes to species diversity and community composition may affect ecosystem functions, such as litter decomposition and soil fluxes. Moreover, few studies have considered the interactions between the abiotic and biotic factors that regulate soil processes. Here we attempt to disentangle the interactive effects of two of the main factors that regulate soil processes at small scales - moisture and macrofauna assemblage composition. The response of assemblages of three common temperate soil invertebrates (Glomeris marginata Villers, Porcellio scaber Latreille and Philoscia muscorum Scopoli) to two contrasting soil moisture levels was examined in a series of laboratory mesocosm experiments. The contribution of the invertebrates to the leaf litter mass loss of two common temperate tree species of contrasting litter quality (easily decomposing Fraxinus excelsior L. and recalcitrant Quercus robur L.) and to soil CO2 fluxes were measured. Both moisture conditions and litter type influenced the functioning of the invertebrate assemblages, which was greater in high moisture conditions compared with low moisture conditions and on good quality vs. recalcitrant litter. In high moisture conditions, all macrofauna assemblages functioned at equal rates, whereas in low moisture conditions there were pronounced differences in litter mass loss among the assemblages. This indicates that species identity and assemblage composition are more important when moisture is limited. We suggest that complementarity between macrofauna species may mitigate the reduced functioning of some species, highlighting the importance of maintaining macrofauna species richness.

三种温带森林大型土壤动物群落结构的时空动态

Soil macro-faunas are important decomposers in ecosystem and play a significant role in nutrient cycling and energy flow. In Maoer Mountain,the soil macro-faunas were investigated in three typical forest types(Korean pine plantation forest,Hard-wood forest and Mongolian oak forest). Our object was to explore the community structure,spatial and temporal dynamic of soil macro-fauna,and its impact factors in temperate forest. Soil samples were collected from the litter layer and the soil layers at depth of 0—10 cm and 10—20 cm. Sampling was carried out continuously from May to October in 2012. A total of 3604 individuals,belonging to 3 Phyla,6 Classes,17 Orders and 50 families were extracted and identified. Among them,the Lumbricidae,Enchytraeidae and Lithobiomorpha were the dominant communities. The results showed that:(1) for horizontal distribution,the decreasing order of individual density and biomass was Korean pine plantation,Hard-wood forest and Mongolian oak. The group number of soil macro-faunas was the largest in Hard-wood forest,and the least in Mongolian oak forest. The Shannon and richness indices of soil macro-faunas were the highest in Mongolian oak forest and the lowest in Korean pine plantation forest,but the trend in the dominance index was opposite.The evenness index was the largest in Mongolian oak forest and the least in Hard-wood forest;(2) for vertical distribution,the individual density,group number,biomass and diversity of soil macro-fauna were significantly affected by the soil layer(P0.001). The individual density distribution appeared significant surface-aggregation,and the maximum biomass of soil macro-fauna was found at depth of 0—10 cm. The group number showed a decrease trend with the increasing layer in Korean pine plantation forest and that of highest value in both Hard-wood forest and Mongolian oak forest occurred at 0—10cm depth,not the litter layer. The Shannon index decreased with the increasing soil depth,while the dominance index appeared the opposite trend;(3) the Shannon and dominance index of soil macro-fauna were significantly different among different months(P0.01). Individual density and group number were higher in May and September than other months,and biomass of soil macro-fauna was the largest in September;(4) the correlation analysis showed that the individual density,group number and biomass of the soil macro-fauna were positively correlated with total organic carbon(P0.05),there was the significantly negative correlation between the Shannon index and soil bulk density(P0.01). It can be conclude that there was obviously spatial and temporal heterogeneity in soil macro-fauna community structure and the total organic carbon was one of the important impact factors.

Effects of coal mining subsidence on the community structure of soil macro-fauna in central China

为了解不同沉陷程度农田土壤生态系统中大型土壤动物群落结构, 于2007年夏季对我国中部潞安集团井工开采区沉陷农田生态系统中不同等高线处大型土壤动物群落组成进行了调查, 采用野外手捡法共采集大型土壤动物477只, 隶属于3门7纲15目22科。其中, 蜘蛛目、鞘翅目、直翅目和膜翅目为优势类群, 占总捕量的83.64%; 常见类群4类, 占总捕量的13.22%。研究结果表明: 不同沉陷程度对农田大型土壤动物个体数、类群数均有不同程度影响, 农田大型土壤动物个体密度随着沉陷深度的增加呈现增加趋势, 沉陷区土壤生态环境的变化引起大型土壤动物的局部迁移。Jaccard相似性系数表明沉陷区中部(2 m、4 m和6 m等高线处)三者间相似程度较高, 正常农田(CK)与沉陷区底部(7 m等高线处)之间相似程度最低, 达到极不相似程度。研究认为不同沉陷程度对大型土壤动物的群落结构有明显影响, 将大型土壤动物作为沉陷区农田土壤质量评价中生物性状指标具有重要意义。

Soil macrofauna communities in mountain forests of Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve (Vietnam, Kon Tum province)

Soil macrofauna communities in mountain forests of Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve (Vietnam, Kon Tum province)

Land use practices and their implications on soil macro-fauna in Maasai Mara ecosystem

The composition, abundance, diversity and species richness of soil macro-fauna communities were assessed in four major land use types present within protected and agricultural landscapes in Maasai Mara savannah ecosystem (MME), Kenya. The four land uses were: natural grassland; woodland, inside and outside protected area; maize mono-cropping and maize-bean intercropping systems in adjacent agricultural farms. Sampling of soil macro-fauna was carried out in November, 2009 (short rain), April 2010 (wet rainy season) and September 2010 (dry season). Hand sorting of soil taken from 25 × 25 × 30 cm monoliths was used to extract all soil macro fauna greater than 2 mm body length. A total of 3,658 individuals comprising of 128 species mainly belonging to Phylum Arthropoda distributed across 3 classes and 13 orders, and Phylum Annelida with one order were collected across the four different land use systems. Termites and ants, and to a lesser extent coleopteran and earthworms were the most abundant groups. Significant effects of land use on macro-fauna abundance and species richness in all cases (p 50% and eliminating some Orders/Species. Human related disturbances outside protected area network declined macro-fauna density in grassland and woodland in dry region (65.07 vs. 39.74%) but increased the density by 107 vs. 340% in wet region. The study highlights the important effect of agriculture on macro-fauna communities and the need for conservation alternatives in unprotected areas. This study supports conservation of biodiversity beyond protected area network. Key words: Macro-fauna, grassland, woodland, agriculture, Maasai Mara, land use.