Collembolan Density and Diversity in a Forest and an Agroecosystem
ABSTRACT
Collembola, commonly called “springtails” are wingless soft-bodied hexapods that are usually between 1 and 3 millimetres in length and occur in varying habits such as, soil surface and litter, under rocks or the bark of trees. The great majority develop in soil, feeding on fungi, bacteria, algae and decaying plant matter, and along with other soil fauna constitute the decomposer community. The present study examines the diversity, density, and seasonal variation patterns of collembolan fauna under different intensities of disturbance, as evidenced in a forest and an agroecosystem. Results indicate that both densities and diversity of collembola was higher in the forest than in the agroecosystem. Seasonal fluctuation exhibited an increase from spring to summer and autumn and a decrease during winter. The coorelation patterns with different chemo-edaphic factors did not show any specific trend.Indices of diversity and significant correlation values are discussed in light of landuse.
Collembola, commonly called “springtails” are wingless soft-bodied hexapods that are usually between 1 and 3 millimetres in length and occur in varying habits such as, soil surface and litter, under rocks or the bark of trees. The great majority develop in soil, feeding on fungi, bacteria, algae and decaying plant matter, and along with other soil fauna constitute the decomposer community. The present study examines the diversity, density, and seasonal variation patterns of collembolan fauna under different intensities of disturbance, as evidenced in a forest and an agroecosystem. Results indicate that both densities and diversity of collembola was higher in the forest than in the agroecosystem. Seasonal fluctuation exhibited an increase from spring to summer and autumn and a decrease during winter. The coorelation patterns with different chemo-edaphic factors did not show any specific trend.Indices of diversity and significant correlation values are discussed in light of landuse.
Cite this paper
nullD. Paul, A. Nongmaithem and L. Jha, "Collembolan Density and Diversity in a Forest and an Agroecosystem," Open Journal of Soil Science, Vol. 1 No. 2, 2011, pp. 54-60. doi: 10.4236/ojss.2011.12008.
nullD. Paul, A. Nongmaithem and L. Jha, "Collembolan Density and Diversity in a Forest and an Agroecosystem," Open Journal of Soil Science, Vol. 1 No. 2, 2011, pp. 54-60. doi: 10.4236/ojss.2011.12008.
References
[1] http://www.ento.csiro.au/education/hexapods/collembola.html. [2] S. Hopkin, “The Biology of the Collembola (Springtails): the Most Abundant Insects in the World,” 2002. http:// www.fathom.com/feature/122603/ [3] J. Rusek, “Biodiversity of Collembola and Their Functional Role in the Ecosystem,” Biodiverisity and Conservation, Vol. 12, 1998, pp. 1207-1219. doi:org/10.1023/A:1008887817883 [4] D. C. Coleman and D. A. Crossley, “Fundamentals of soil ecology,” Academic Press, New York, 1996. [5] W. II. Choi, D. L. Moorhead, D. A. Neher and M. II. Ryoo, “A Modeling Study of Soil Temperature and Moisture Effects on Population Dynamics of Paronychiurus kimi (Collembola: Onychiuridae),” Biology Fertile Soils, Vol. 43, No. 1, 2006, pp. 69-75. doi:org/10.1007/s00374-005-0062-5 [6] S. K. Mitra, A. K. Hazra and A. K. Sanyal, “Ecology of collembola at the eden gardens, Calcutta,” Ecological Bulletin (Stockholm), Vol. 25, 1977, pp. 539-544. [7] H. A. Verhorf and A. J. van. Selm, “Distribution and Population Dynamics of Collembola in Relation to Soil Moisture,” Holarctic Ecology, Vol. 6, 1983, pp. 378-394. [8] P. K. Vatsauliya and J. R. B. Alfred, “Ecological Studies on Jhum Fallows (Meghalaya) with Special Reference to Soil Fauna,” Records of the Zoological Survey of India Ocassional Paper, No. 149, 1993. [9] V. Huhta and S. M. Hanninen, “Effects of Temperature and Moisture Fluctuations on an Experimental Soil Microarthropod Community,” Pedobiologia, Vol. 45, No. 3, 2001, pp. 279-286. doi:org/10.1078/0031-4056-00085 [10] E. Jucevica and V. Melecis, “Long-Term Effects of Climate Warming on Forest Soil Collembola,” Acta Zoologica Lituanica, Vol. 15, No. 2, 2005, pp. 124-126. [11] J. P. Sousa, T. Bolger, M. M. da Gama, T. Lukkari, J. F. Ponge, C. Simon, G. Traser, A. J. Vanbergen, A. Brennan, F. Dubs, E. Ivitis, A. Keating, S. Stofer and A. D. Watt, “Changes in Collembola Richness and Diversity Along a Gradient of Land-Use Intensity: A Pan European Study,” Pedobiologia, Vol. 50, No. 2, 2006, pp. 147-156. doi:org/10.1016/j.pedobi.2005.10.005 [12] J. Cortet, D. Ronce, N. P. Balaguer, C. Beaufreton, A. Chabert, P. Viaux and J. P. C de Fonseca, “Impacts of Different Agricultural Practices on the Biodiversity of Microarthropod Communities in Arable Crop Systems,” European Journal of Soil Biology, Vol. 38, No. 3-4, 2002, pp. 239-244. doi:org/10.1016/S1164-5563(02)01152-4 [13] J. P. Sousa, M. M. da Gama, C. Pinto, A. Keating, F. Calhoa, M. Lemos, C. Castro, T. Luz, P. Leitao and S. Dias, “Effects of Land-Use on Collembola Diversity Patterns in a Mediterranean Landscape,” Pedobiologia, Vol. 48, No. 5-6, 2004, pp. 609-622. doi:org/10.1016/j.pedobi.2004.06.004 [14] M. P. Culik and D. Z. Filho, “Diversity and Distribution of Collembola (Arthropoda: Hexapoda) of Brazil,” Biodiveraity and Conservation, Vol. 12, No. 6, 2003, pp. 1119-1143. doi:org/10.1023/A:1023069912619 [15] D. Wiwatwitaya and H. Takeda, “Seasonal Changes in Soil Arthropod Abundance in the Dry Evergreen Forest of North-East Thailand, with Special Reference to Collembolan Communities,” Ecology Research, Vol. 20, No. 1, 2005, pp. 59-70. doi:org/10.1007/s11284-004-0013-x [16] J. J. Muturi, J. P. Mbugil, J. M. Mueke, Jan. Lagerlof, J. K. Mungatu, G. Nyamasyo and M. Gikungu, “Collembola Density and Diversity Along a Gradient of Land-Use Types in Embu District, Eastern Kenya,” Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems, Vol. 11, 2009, pp. 361-369.
[1] http://www.ento.csiro.au/education/hexapods/collembola.html. [2] S. Hopkin, “The Biology of the Collembola (Springtails): the Most Abundant Insects in the World,” 2002. http:// www.fathom.com/feature/122603/ [3] J. Rusek, “Biodiversity of Collembola and Their Functional Role in the Ecosystem,” Biodiverisity and Conservation, Vol. 12, 1998, pp. 1207-1219. doi:org/10.1023/A:1008887817883 [4] D. C. Coleman and D. A. Crossley, “Fundamentals of soil ecology,” Academic Press, New York, 1996. [5] W. II. Choi, D. L. Moorhead, D. A. Neher and M. II. Ryoo, “A Modeling Study of Soil Temperature and Moisture Effects on Population Dynamics of Paronychiurus kimi (Collembola: Onychiuridae),” Biology Fertile Soils, Vol. 43, No. 1, 2006, pp. 69-75. doi:org/10.1007/s00374-005-0062-5 [6] S. K. Mitra, A. K. Hazra and A. K. Sanyal, “Ecology of collembola at the eden gardens, Calcutta,” Ecological Bulletin (Stockholm), Vol. 25, 1977, pp. 539-544. [7] H. A. Verhorf and A. J. van. Selm, “Distribution and Population Dynamics of Collembola in Relation to Soil Moisture,” Holarctic Ecology, Vol. 6, 1983, pp. 378-394. [8] P. K. Vatsauliya and J. R. B. Alfred, “Ecological Studies on Jhum Fallows (Meghalaya) with Special Reference to Soil Fauna,” Records of the Zoological Survey of India Ocassional Paper, No. 149, 1993. [9] V. Huhta and S. M. Hanninen, “Effects of Temperature and Moisture Fluctuations on an Experimental Soil Microarthropod Community,” Pedobiologia, Vol. 45, No. 3, 2001, pp. 279-286. doi:org/10.1078/0031-4056-00085 [10] E. Jucevica and V. Melecis, “Long-Term Effects of Climate Warming on Forest Soil Collembola,” Acta Zoologica Lituanica, Vol. 15, No. 2, 2005, pp. 124-126. [11] J. P. Sousa, T. Bolger, M. M. da Gama, T. Lukkari, J. F. Ponge, C. Simon, G. Traser, A. J. Vanbergen, A. Brennan, F. Dubs, E. Ivitis, A. Keating, S. Stofer and A. D. Watt, “Changes in Collembola Richness and Diversity Along a Gradient of Land-Use Intensity: A Pan European Study,” Pedobiologia, Vol. 50, No. 2, 2006, pp. 147-156. doi:org/10.1016/j.pedobi.2005.10.005 [12] J. Cortet, D. Ronce, N. P. Balaguer, C. Beaufreton, A. Chabert, P. Viaux and J. P. C de Fonseca, “Impacts of Different Agricultural Practices on the Biodiversity of Microarthropod Communities in Arable Crop Systems,” European Journal of Soil Biology, Vol. 38, No. 3-4, 2002, pp. 239-244. doi:org/10.1016/S1164-5563(02)01152-4 [13] J. P. Sousa, M. M. da Gama, C. Pinto, A. Keating, F. Calhoa, M. Lemos, C. Castro, T. Luz, P. Leitao and S. Dias, “Effects of Land-Use on Collembola Diversity Patterns in a Mediterranean Landscape,” Pedobiologia, Vol. 48, No. 5-6, 2004, pp. 609-622. doi:org/10.1016/j.pedobi.2004.06.004 [14] M. P. Culik and D. Z. Filho, “Diversity and Distribution of Collembola (Arthropoda: Hexapoda) of Brazil,” Biodiveraity and Conservation, Vol. 12, No. 6, 2003, pp. 1119-1143. doi:org/10.1023/A:1023069912619 [15] D. Wiwatwitaya and H. Takeda, “Seasonal Changes in Soil Arthropod Abundance in the Dry Evergreen Forest of North-East Thailand, with Special Reference to Collembolan Communities,” Ecology Research, Vol. 20, No. 1, 2005, pp. 59-70. doi:org/10.1007/s11284-004-0013-x [16] J. J. Muturi, J. P. Mbugil, J. M. Mueke, Jan. Lagerlof, J. K. Mungatu, G. Nyamasyo and M. Gikungu, “Collembola Density and Diversity Along a Gradient of Land-Use Types in Embu District, Eastern Kenya,” Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems, Vol. 11, 2009, pp. 361-369.