International audienceSpringtail communities (Hexapoda: Collembola) were sampled in the Morvan Nature Regional Park (Burgundy, France) in six land use units (LUUs) 1 km(2) each, which had been selected in order to cover a range of increasing intensity of land use. Human influence increased from LUU 1 (old deciduous forest) to LUU 6 (agricultural land mainly devoted to cereal crops), passing by planted coniferous forests (LUU 2) and variegated landscapes made of cereal crops, pastures, hay meadows, conifer plantations and small relict deciduous groves in varying proportion (LUUs 3-5). Sixteen core samples were taken inside each LUU, at intersections of a regular grid. Species composition, species richness and total abundance of collembolan communities varied according to land use and landscape properties. Land use types affected these communities through changes in the degree of opening of woody landscape (woodland opposed to grassland) and changes in humus forms (measured by the Humus Index). A decrease in species richness and total abundance was observed from old deciduous forests to cereal crops. Although the regional species richness was not affected by the intensification gradient (40-50 species were recorded in every LUU), a marked decrease in local biodiversity was observed when the variety of land use types increased. In variegated landscapes the observed collapse in local species richness was not due to a different distribution of land use types, since it affected mainly woodland areas. Results indicated the detrimental influence of the rapid afforestation of previous agricultural land, which did not afford time for the development of better adapted soil animal communities
International audienceIn previously published papers it had been demonstrated that at the local level the species richness of soil springtail communities was negatively influenced by landuse diversity. When the dispersal rate of soil animals was taken into account, quite opposite trends were displayed by species having poor or high dispersal capabilities. At the local level, species with short legs, non functional jumping apparatus and reduction of visual organs were distinguished against by landuse diversity, while species with long legs, functional jumping apparatus (furcula) and complete eyes, thus able to disperse at the soil surface, were not. It was verified, through aerial photographs taken 50 years ago, that landuse changes, expected to be more frequent in heterogeneous landscapes, may contribute to explain this phenomenon
Springtails (Hexapoda: Collembola) are known to live in a wide range of soil conditions, but changes occurring in their communities under the influence of heavy metal pollution are still poorly documented. The present study was undertaken in order to discern main coenological trends along a gradient of metal pollution, downwind of a zinc smelter located in the North of France. Three sites were compared within an abandoned field planted with poplar twenty years ago. The total zinc content of the topsoil varied from 4000 to 35 000 mg/kg according to distance to the smelter outlet. Changes in humus forms (shift from mull to mor) and in the degree of opening of the poplar stand (mainly caused by death or stunting of planted trees in the vicinity of the smelter) explained most of the observed variation in abundance and species composition. Sun species living at the ground surface appeared at the most polluted sites where poplar declined and was replaced by a sward of metal-tolerant herb species. The increase in abundance of the whole collembolan community was mainly due to Mesaphorura macrochaeta, the gut contents of which indicated that this species avoided the root mat and fed mainly in the mineral soil underneath. Shifts in food habits and/or in habitat were observed in several other common species, pointing to the importance of avoidance behaviour as a mechanism by which collembolan species may endure heavy metal pollution.
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