Spruce monoculture establishment affects functional traits of soil microarthropod communities

Abstract

Structure and density of soil microarthropod communities (Oribatida and Collembola) were studied in one natural beech forest and one spruce monoculture planted on a former beech stand in South Bohemia (Czech Republic in the spruce monoculture for Collembola); additionally, it changed greatly the community structure in terms of species composition and functional traits. In the spruce monoculture, groups susceptible to disturbance were suppressed. The oribatid trophic structure changed as well with opportunistic herbifungivorous species increasing in the monoculture at the expense of fungivorous species. Similarly, hemiedaphic collembolans increased in the monoculture at the expense of euedaphic species. We conclude that the "functional approach" seems to be fruitful in revealing soil fauna response to environmental change.

Direct and Indirect Effects of Forest Anthropogenic Disturbance on Above and Below Ground Communities and Litter Decomposition

“…At the same experimental site, Rousseau et al (2018) found that springtail and oribatid mite species were more prevalent in the moss horizon than in mineral soil, possibly explaining their decreasing abundance with increasing soil exposure. Hemiedaphic springtails are mostly found in thick forest floors (Farská et al, 2013;Salmon et al, 2014) , 2006). Similarly, web builder spiders were less prevalent in disturbance treatments where sparse vegetation provide limited attachment points (Castro and Wise, 2009).…”