The role of soil organic matter content in the composition and abundance of Collembola communities in a forest-open landscape mosaic

The presence of soil fauna is essential for healthy soil life. As part of the soil mesofauna, Collembola are significant contributors to humus formation and the spread of mycorrhizal fungi, which are of major importance for plants, and they also help to decompose organic matter and mineralise the soil. Among the soil parameters, organic matter content is one of the most significant determinants of the abundance and diversity of Collembola. Our study aimed to explore these relationships in a forest-open landscape mosaic in a dry, sandy area in the Danube-Tisza Mid-Region of Hungary. Soil samplings were carried out in different forest types and nearby open areas (grassland and abandoned cultivated habitats). Five non-destructive soil samples of 100 cm3 were taken at each site using a soil corer with a 3.6 cm diameter and a 10 cm depth for the soil fauna survey. In total, 2,018 specimens from 13 families, and 49 species were sampled and identified. We used a multivariate ordination method (CCA) to investigate the relationship of individual species and life forms to specific soil parameters. It was found that mainly hemiedaphic species (such as Appendisotoma franzi, A. juliannae, Lepidocyrtus nigrescens) showed the strongest connection to soil organic matter. In contrast, euedaphic species (e.g., Doutnacia xerophila, Mesaphorura krausbaueri, Protaphorura cancellata) showed a weaker binding. The epedaphic, soil surface-dwelling species (e.g., Entomobrya multifasciata, Orchesella cincta) did not show a strong preference for soil organic matter content or other soil parameters. Based on similarity analyses (cluster analysis, Bray-Curtis distance), open habitats showed a distinct separation according to the Collembola species composition and abundance.

This article was made in frame of the project TKP2021-NKTA-43 which has been implemented with the support provided by the Ministry of Innovation and Technology of Hungary (successor: Ministry of Culture and Innovation of Hungary) from the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund, financed under the TKP2021-NKTA funding scheme.