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Diversity
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Soil Invertebrate Diversity, Ecology and Zoogeographic Structure
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Soil Invertebrate Diversity, Ecology and Zoogeographic Structure

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Diversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 December 2022) | Viewed by 8121

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Elena N. Melekhina

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Biology of the Komi Science Centre of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciencesdisabled, Syktyvkar, Russia
Interests: diversity; ecology; zoogeography; geographical distribution; oribatid mites; Oribatida; soil invertebrates; impact of pollution on soil fauna; bioindication; biological remediation; habitat distribution

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soil fauna, as a component of terrestrial ecosystems, performs important ecosystem functions: it participates in soil formation and the preservation of soil fertility, the circulation of biologically active elements, and the conservation of biodiversity. Soil invertebrates are characterized by high abundance and great diversity in different natural and climatic conditions.

Many taxa of macro- and mesofauna are used as models in biogeographic studies. Obtaining data on the taxonomic diversity of invertebrates in different natural areas, studying the geographical distribution of species and the zoogeographic structure of the fauna is the basis for building models of the settlement of taxa in different regions of the Earth, in particular for understanding the patterns of settlement in Arctic latitudes after the last glaciation in the Quaternary.

Environmental pollution causes a response in soil animals; their number, taxonomic composition, and population structure change. In this regard, soil invertebrates can act as indicator groups in the case of the anthropogenic disturbance of natural ecosystems; they are indicators of the degree of violation, as well as the speed of the restoration of soil communities. Perennial studies of soil zoocenoses, the dynamics of the number and relative abundance of key taxonomic groups of animals in areas with pollution allow the identification of the bioindical potential of invertebrates from different taxa.

The study of the distribution of soil invertebrates by habitats in ecosystems of various climatic regions expands the knowledge about the ecology of species and their biotopic preferences, both in natural communities and in anthropogenically transformed ones.

Modern methods for studying soil biota, such as metataxonomics analysis, provide new opportunities for studying the biodiversity of soil invertebrates and for analyzing the functional relationships between soil fauna, with soil microbiota at a new level. The accumulation and systematization of such data are necessary to develop approaches for monitoring and restoring disturbed ecosystems.

Manuscripts on a wide range of issues in soil invertebrate diversity, the distribution and areology of taxa, the zoogeographic structure of fauna, ecology, and the impact of pollution of terrestrial ecosystems on soil fauna are accepted for this Special Issue.

Dr. Elena N. Melekhina
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • soil invertebrates
  • biodiversity
  • biogeography
  • distribution
  • zoogeographic structure
  • ecology
  • conservation
  • bioindication

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 1186 KiB  
Article
Lichen-Associated Oribatid Mites in the Taiga Zone of Northeast European Russia: Taxonomical Composition and Geographical Distribution of Species
by Elena N. Melekhina
Diversity 2023, 15(5), 599; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15050599 - 27 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1446
Abstract
We examined 35 species of ground and epiphytic lichens, including fruticose, foliose, and crustose lichen, as habitats of oribatid mites. Observations were carried out in the taiga forests of northeast European Russia, and 87 oribatid species from 38 families were found. The Crotoniidae, [...] Read more.
We examined 35 species of ground and epiphytic lichens, including fruticose, foliose, and crustose lichen, as habitats of oribatid mites. Observations were carried out in the taiga forests of northeast European Russia, and 87 oribatid species from 38 families were found. The Crotoniidae, Carabodidae, Oppiidae, and Suctobelbidae are the most numerous families in ground lichens and the Oribatulidae are in the epiphytes. The families Micreremidae and Licneremaeidae were only noted in epiphytes. A complex of species characteristic of epiphytic lichens as habitats of oribatid mites have been identified, these are Carabodes labyrinthicus, Oribatula (Z.) propinqua, Phauloppia nemoralis, Micreremus brevipes, Licneremaeus licnophorus, Furcoppia (Mexicoppia) dentata, Cymbaeremaeus cymba. Only in epiphytes, rarely, the species were also Jacotella frondeus, Ameronothrus oblongus, Mycobates (Calyptozetes) tridactylus, and Liebstadia humerata. Characteristic for ground lichens are species Trhypochthonius cladonicolus, Carabodes marginatus, Carabodes subarcticus. Often found in both ground and epiphytic lichens are species Eueremaeus oblongus s. str., E. oblongus silvestris, Ceratoppia quadridentata, Adoristes ovatus poppei, Graptoppia (Apograptoppia) foveolata, Suctobelbella acidens duplex, Tectocepheus velatus, Trichoribates berlesei, Chamobates pusillus, Diapterobates oblongus, Oribatula tibialis, Oribatula (Z.) exilis, Scheloribates laevigatus, Neoribates aurantiacus, Pergalumna nervosa. In epiphytic lichens, we observed species that are rare in the North (Oribatula (Z.) frisiae, O. (Z.) propinqua, P. nemoralis, L. licnophorus, F. (M.) dentata, et al.), with some noted in the taiga zone for the first time (J. frondeus). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Invertebrate Diversity, Ecology and Zoogeographic Structure)
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19 pages, 5120 KiB  
Article
Trophic Structure of the Soil-Dwelling Arthropod Communities at the Border of the Forest and the Steppe in the South of Western Siberia: Isotopic Data
by Ilya I. Lyubechanskii, Alexei N. Bespalov, Alexei V. Tiunov, Galina N. Azarkina, Roman Yu. Dudko, Lyudmila V. Salisch and Vyacheslav G. Mordkovich
Diversity 2023, 15(3), 445; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15030445 - 17 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1766
Abstract
Epigeic generalist predators play a crucial role in terrestrial ecosystems, connecting aboveground and belowground food webs. Using stable isotope compositions (δ13C and δ15N values), we assessed the trophic niches of the two main groups of generalist predators (ground beetles [...] Read more.
Epigeic generalist predators play a crucial role in terrestrial ecosystems, connecting aboveground and belowground food webs. Using stable isotope compositions (δ13C and δ15N values), we assessed the trophic niches of the two main groups of generalist predators (ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) and spiders (Arachnida: Aranei)), as well as their potential prey (phytophagous and saprophagous insects), plants, and soils in the forest, steppe, and transitional ecosystems located in the forest–steppe of southwestern Siberia. We hypothesized that (1) the trophic niche of carabids is wider than that of spiders, because some ground beetles are omnivorous, and (2) the contribution of invertebrates from the detrital food web (saprophages) to the diet of generalist predators is higher in the “detrital” forest ecosystem than in the steppe, which should be reflected in increased δ13C and δ15N values of the predators in the forest. In total, 16 species of carabid and 17 species of spider were analyzed. The δ15N values of ground beetles suggested a wide range of trophic niches corresponding to two or three trophic levels. Omnivorous carabids of the genera Amara and Harpalus had the minimum δ15N values. The carbon isotope compositions of the ground beetles suggests that most predatory species were predominantly involved in grazing food chains. Spiders had on average increased δ15N values compared to ground beetles, and a relatively narrow range of δ15N values. The isotopic niche occupied by spiders hardly overlapped with the isotopic niche of carabids, which may indicate a significant difference in the range of consumed resources. Thus, our data suggest a significant difference in the trophic niches of the key generalist predators, ground beetles and spiders, which was observed both in the forest and the steppe habitats. Spiders appear to be more closely associated with detrital food webs than ground beetles. Contrary to our expectations, we did not find higher δ13C and δ15N values in ground-dwelling generalist predators in the forest compared to the steppe ecosystem. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Invertebrate Diversity, Ecology and Zoogeographic Structure)
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17 pages, 4348 KiB  
Article
Impact of No-Tillage on Soil Invertebrate Communities in the Southern Forest Steppe of West Siberia: Preliminary Research
by Ilya I. Lyubechanskii, Elena V. Golovanova, Roman Yu. Dudko, Galina N. Azarkina, Olga A. Rusalimova, Ekaterina S. Samoylova, Sergei V. Shekhovtsov and Pavel A. Barsukov
Diversity 2023, 15(3), 402; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15030402 - 10 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1611
Abstract
The aim of our study is to assess changes in soil macroinvertebrate biodiversity when conventional tillage (CT) is replaced by no-tillage (NT) in agroecosystems of the southern part of the West Siberian forest steppe. The research was conducted in the Novosibirsk region at [...] Read more.
The aim of our study is to assess changes in soil macroinvertebrate biodiversity when conventional tillage (CT) is replaced by no-tillage (NT) in agroecosystems of the southern part of the West Siberian forest steppe. The research was conducted in the Novosibirsk region at the end of May 2017, May 2018, and in June 2018. The agricultural plots with CT and NT were located close to each other on identical soils, at a distance of about 200 m from the nearest forest shelterbelts. NT technology has been applied on the experimental plot since 2007. Sampling of invertebrates was conducted in two ways, namely soil sampling and pitfall trapping. The majority of basic physicochemical properties of soil were the same or similar between the CT and NT plots. However, depending on the type of tillage, different soil invertebrate communities had already developed in the control (CT) and experimental (NT) plots during this time. The community of the CT plot includes a large number of flying predatory Carabidae species typical of early successional stages (such as Bembidion properans and B. quadrimaculatum, Poecilus spp.) and phytophages, i.e., larvae of Elateridae. The NT plot has significantly higher density and species richness of earthworms (Eisenia nordenskioldi and synanthropic E. fetida in the NT plot versus one individual of E. nordenskioldi in the CT plot). The NT plot has a significantly richer and more abundant assemblage of spiders (especially in spring) and a poor assemblage of insect predators (except for the superdominant ground beetle Poecilus cupreus and the subdominant P. versicolor in summer 2018). Large numbers of larvae of some carabids (e.g., Amara consularis) were found in the NT soil, suggesting that they complete a full life cycle in this habitat. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Invertebrate Diversity, Ecology and Zoogeographic Structure)
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14 pages, 1262 KiB  
Article
Variation in Dung Removal Rates by Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) in a Temperate, Dry Steppe Ecosystem
by Purevdorj Jargalsaikhan, Gombo Altangerel, Tsedev Enkhchimeg, Ulykpan Aibek and Badamdorj Bayartogtokh
Diversity 2023, 15(1), 91; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15010091 - 11 Jan 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2567
Abstract
During their feeding process, dung beetles perform a series of ecosystem functions that provide valuable ecosystem services, such as soil fertilization, improvement of soil properties, plant growth enhancement, and biological pest control. However, in the grasslands of the Central Asian dry steppe, the [...] Read more.
During their feeding process, dung beetles perform a series of ecosystem functions that provide valuable ecosystem services, such as soil fertilization, improvement of soil properties, plant growth enhancement, and biological pest control. However, in the grasslands of the Central Asian dry steppe, the effects of dung beetles on dung removal remain almost unstudied. Here, we examined dung removal by different dung beetle species (Colobterus erraticus (Linnaeus, 1758), Onthophagus bivertex Heyden, 1887, Onthophagus gibbulus (Pallas, 1781), Gymnopleurus mopsus (Pallas, 1781), Cheironitis eumenes Motschulsky, 1859, and Geotrupes koltzei Reitter, 1892), and compared the impacts with control treatments (without beetles) under natural pasture conditions and in the laboratory. We examined the influence of different variables on dung removal rates, such as dung type and dung beetle traits (nesting strategies, abundance, body size, and biomass). We found higher dung removal rates during the initial 48 h in field and laboratory conditions. Among nesting strategies, tunnellers demonstrated significantly higher dung removal rates than dweller and roller species. The highest amount of dung removal was estimated for C. eumenes (6.5 g/day by seven individuals). We found no significant relationship between dung removal rates and dung beetle body size or biomass, but we observed a strong negative correlation between dung beetle abundance and dung removal rates. Our findings highlight the importance of dung type and age, nesting strategies and abundances of dung beetles, and experimental conditions, which are the main factors driving the process of dung removal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Invertebrate Diversity, Ecology and Zoogeographic Structure)
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