Simulated climate change: a field manipulation study of polar microarthropod community response to global warming

Passive cloches were deployed at three altitudinally distinct sites on Signy Island, maritime Antarctica, to investigate the effect of ameliorated thermal environment upon fellfield microarthropod communities Temperature was monitored at 1 5 m height, at ground surface level, and at 5 cm depth in cloche and control plots During summer (December - March), cloches elevated monthly mean temperatures by up to 2 46°C at the soil surface and 2 20°C at 5 cm depth Integrated air temperatures over consecutive 10 d periods were up to 4 65°C wanner in cloches than controls During winter (April - November), snow cover of the fellfield sites buffered temperature variation and reduced the treatment effect After eight years of these manipulations, sampling of the upper 50 mm of soil revealed consistently greater microarthropod populations within cloches than in controls (treatment effect p<0.05) Maximum difference occurred at high altitude where thermal amelioration was greatest (site effect p<0.05) Cloche populations of the numerically dominant collembolan Cryptopygus antarcticus Willem contained an increased proportion of small (length < 750 μm) individuals No species new to Signy Island were recorded Relating these microarthropod populations to the ameliorated thermal environment suggests that Antarctic invertebrate communities may respond to global warming, as predicted by global circulation models, with an increase in abundance with little increase in diversity However, this response could be indirect, the intermediate controlling factor being the percentage cover of the soil surface by vegetation, itself a function of climate change     

Biology of Hypogastrura tullbergi (Collembola) at a high arctic site

The life cycle, reproductive biology and growth rates of Hypogastrura tullbergi (Schäffer), one of the most abundant and widespread Collembola on Devon Island, N.W.T., were investigated.
Reproductive activity was confined to a period of 2–4 wk every season, starting approximately 2 wk after snow-melt. Individuals of H. tullbergi had the potential of breeding in at least 2 successive summers. This species had an extended, flexible life cycle with a total life span of approximately 3 yr.
Growth rates of individuals of H. tullbergi maintained at field temperatures with an excess of fungal material greatly exceeded growth rates of individuals in the field population. It is suggested that in the field, growth rates are limited by food rather than directly by low temperatures.
H. tullbergi was not able to grow on a diet of decomposing Dryas integrifolia leaves. Growth rates on fungal substrates were found to depend on temperature, species of fungus, and age. Maximum growth rates for adults occurred at 10°C, but juveniles showed a maximum growth rate at 15°C.
The adaptive significance of aspects of the biology of H. tullbergi for long-term survival in tundra environments is discussed.     

The invertebrate fauna of High Arctic seabird nests: the microarthropod community inhabiting nests on Spitsbergen,Svalbard

The invertebrate fauna of the nests of three seabird species, black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla), common eider (Somateria mollissima) and glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus), were sampled in Kongsfjorden, Spitsbergen, Svalbard. The invertebrate community was species poor, consisting predominantly of the flea, Mioctenopsylla arctica arctica (Insecta: Siphonaptera), but with six species of oribatid mite (Acari: Oribatida), Diapterobates notatus, Oribatula tibialis, Ameronothrus lineatus, Hermannia reticulata, Trichoribates trimaculatus and Ceratoppia bipilis, plus an occasional mesostigmatid mite. No Collembola or ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) were observed. With the exception of M. arctica arctica, the fauna of seabird nests consisted of opportunistic microarthropod species rather than specialised nest-dwelling or bird parasitic species. Species diversity of soil oribatid mites was greater in nests of the common eider than compared to nests of the black-legged kittiwake, which may be related to the ground nesting behaviour of the common eiders. No rare or unusual microarthropod species for Svalbard were found in the seabird nests. The contentions that nests may facilitate microarthropod colonisation of High Arctic regions via bird phoresy by providing a high-quality habitat at the point of arrival, or that there might be a specialised microarthropod fauna exploiting this habitat, were not supported in this study. These are amongst the first data on the microarthropod community of seabird nests in the High Arctic.     

Microscale distribution patterns in high Arctic soil microarthropod communities: the influence of plant species within the vegetation mosaic

We tested the hypothesis that within a relatively homogeneous vegetation type the spatial configuration of different plant species may be a determining factor in the composition of the soil animal communities. Six vascular plant species (Luzula confusa, Dryas octopetala, Cassiope tetragona, Salix polaris, Silene acaulis and Saxifraga opposigifolia), growing within high Arctic Saxifraga‐lichen heath vegetation, showed different distributional patterns. Luzula confusa and S. polaris were ubiquitous throughout while D. octopetala and C. tetragona had the most scattered distributions. Soil microarthropod density varied significantly among plant species from 18 000 (S. polaris) to 42 000 m^?2 (S. acaulis). Few significant numerical interrelationships were found between the population densities of the different Collembola or cryptostigmatic mite species or between microarthropod densities and variation in the physical properties of the soil associated with each plant species. However, despite the high similarity of species present, Discriminant Analysis idengified distinct microarthropod assemblages associated with each plant species. Over 70% of microarthropod samples taken from soil beneath S. polaris or L. confusa were correctly classified. Rank order of animal species abundance, however, varied among plant species. The collembolan Folsomia quadrioculata ranked first in five of the six plant species but the mite Camisia anomia was numerically dominant under S. polaris. The second most abundant species was much more variable. Despite these variations, the shape of the species rank abundance curve for microarthropods was remarkably similar for all plant species, with rank one and two species comprising ca 55 and 27% of the fauna respectively. These conclusions were reinforced by χ² analysis which idengified significantly distinct faunal communities between each plant species. Those microarthropod species contributing most to these between‐plant differences, as measured by higher or lower than expected populations, were idengified and were shown to be not always the most abundant species. Thus, on a local scale plants of different species were shown to act as useful proxy indicators of soil conditions that affect the soil microarthropod community. This should be taken into account when designing sampling programmes for soil invertebrates.     

Effects of experimental temperature elevation on high-arctic soil microarthropod populations

 An experiment was conducted to measure the effects of summer warming on the total population densities of soil-dwelling microarthropods in the high Arctic and to compare these results with those from natural between-year and between-site variations. Small polythene tents were used to elevate summer temperatures over 3 years on polar semi-desert and tundra heath in West Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway. Soil cores were taken at regular intervals from tented and untented (control) plots and heat extracted for mites (Acarina: Oribatida) and springtails (Collembola). Species present were similar at both sites, but at the start of the experiment total springtail populations were greater at the polar semi-desert whilst oribatid mite densities were equal at both sites. No significant effect of temperature elevation on oribatid mite populations emerged, even after 3 years. By contrast, springtail numbers were significantly lower on tented versus control plots at the polar semi-desert at the end of year 3, but not so at the tundra heath. Collembola numbers declined at both sites during the warm dry midsummers of 1992/1993 and this was most marked at the better drained polar semi-desert site. Over the equivalent period total oribatid mite populations, while relatively more stable, increased significantly at the polar semi-desert as a result of an increase in the number of juveniles. Results are interpreted in the context of the ecophysiological adaptations of oribatid mites and springtails to soil temperature and moisture. The resulting survival characteristics are considered in relation to the temperature and moisture characteristics of the two sites. The experiment demonstrated that year to year variation in climate, interacting with physical differences between sites, produced an equal or greater effect on microarthropod numbers at any one site than the 8–10% increase in “heat availability” (day degrees above zero) resulting from the summer tent treatment. The limitations of the use of tents to elevate soil temperatures are discussed. Comparisons are made with microarthropod population data from other polar and alpine sites. Received: 13 May 1994/Accepted: 18 May 1995     

Seasonal exposure to drought and air warming affects soil collembola and mites

Global environmental changes affect not only the aboveground but also the belowground components of ecosystems. The effects of seasonal drought and air warming on the genus level richness of Collembola, and on the abundance and biomass of the community of Collembola and mites were studied in an acidic and a calcareous forest soil in a model oak-ecosystem experiment (the Querco experiment) at the Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL in Birmensdorf. The experiment included four climate treatments: control, drought with a 60% reduction in rainfall, air warming with a seasonal temperature increase of 1.4°C, and air warming + drought. Soil water content was greatly reduced by drought. Soil surface temperature was slightly increased by both the air warming and the drought treatment. Soil mesofauna samples were taken at the end of the first experimental year. Drought was found to increase the abundance of the microarthropod fauna, but reduce the biomass of the community. The percentage of small mites (body length [Formula: see text] 0.20 mm) increased, but the percentage of large mites (body length >0.40 mm) decreased under drought. Air warming had only minor effects on the fauna. All climate treatments significantly reduced the richness of Collembola and the biomass of Collembola and mites in acidic soil, but not in calcareous soil. Drought appeared to have a negative impact on soil microarthropod fauna, but the effects of climate change on soil fauna may vary with the soil type.     

Density and community structure of soil- and bark-dwelling microarthropods along an altitudinal gradient in a tropical montane rainforest

Microarthropod communities in the soil and on the bark of trees were investigated along an elevation gradient (1,850, 2,000, 2,150, 2,300 m) in a tropical montane rain forest in southern Ecuador. We hypothesised that the density of microarthropods declines with depth in soil and increases with increasing altitude mainly due to the availability of resources, i.e. organic matter. In addition, we expected bark and soil communities to differ strongly, since the bark of trees is more exposed to harsher factors. In contrast to our hypothesis, the density of major microarthropod groups (Collembola, Oribatida, Gamasina, Uropodina) was generally low and decreased with altitude. However, as we predicted the density of each of the groups decreased with soil depth. Density of microarthropods on tree bark was lower than in soil. Overall, 43 species of oribatid mites were found, with the most abundant higher taxa being Poronota, pycnonotic Apheredermata, Mixonomata and Eupheredermata. The oribatid mite community on bark did not differ significantly from that in soil. The number of oribatid mite species declined with altitude (24, 23, 17 and 13 species at 1,850, 2,000, 2,150 and 2,300 m, respectively). Rarefaction curves indicate that overall about 50 oribatid mite species are to be expected along the studied altitudinal gradient. Results of this study indicate (1) that microarthropods may be limited by the quality of resources at high altitudes and by the amount of resources at deeper soil layers, and (2) that the bark of trees and the soil are habitats of similar quality for oribatid mites.     

Soil microarthropods from the Chihuahuan Desert of New Mexico

An account is given of the soil- and litter-dwelling microarthropods collected under three species of desert shrub in southern New Mexico. Particular attention is paid to the acarine component which represents 80% of the microarthropod fauna. Comparisons made with samples collected one hour after wetting show that only the Collembola respond rapidly to changes in the moisture content of the soil. The results of the study suggest that the depth and stability of the surface litter determine the degree to which microarthropod activity is affected by the application of water.     

Relationship between soil microarthropod species diversity and plant growth does not change when the system is disturbed

Soil microarthropods influence vital ecosystem processes, such as decomposition and nutrient mineralisation. There is evidence, however, that proper functioning of ecosystems does not require the presence of all its constituent species, and therefore some species can be regarded as functionally redundant. It has been proposed that species redundancy can act as an insurance against unfavourable conditions, and that functionally redundant species may become important when a system has faced a disturbance (the “insurance hypothesis”).
We conducted a laboratory microcosm experiment with coniferous forest soil and a seedling of silver birch (Betula pendula). A gradient of microarthropod diversity (from one to tens of species of soil mites and Collembola) was created to the systems. We disturbed microcosms with drought to test whether systems with altering microarthropod species richness respond differently to perturbations. Primary production (birch biomass), uptake of nitrogen by the birch seedling, the system's ability to retain nutrients and the structure and biomass of the soil microbial community were analysed.
Primary production and nutrient uptake of the birch seedlings increased slightly with increasing microarthropod species richness but only at the species poor end of the diversity gradient. Loss of nutrients and the biomass and community structure of microbes were unaffected by the microarthropods. The effect of drought on the birch biomass production was independent of the species richness of microarthropods. During the disturbance the biomass of microarthropods declined in diverse systems but not in simple ones. These systems were, however, quite resilient; microarthropod communities recovered quickly after the disturbance. Our results suggest that soil microarthropod species are functionally redundant in respect to plant growth, and that the resistance of a system to and its recovery from a disturbance are only weakly related to the species richness of this fauna.     

Free‐living nematodes as prey for higher trophic levels of forest soil food webs

Nematodes are the most abundant invertebrates in soils and are key prey in soil food webs. Uncovering their contribution to predator nutrition is essential for understanding the structure of soil food webs and the way energy channels through soil systems. Molecular gut content analysis of consumers of nematodes, such as soil microarthropods, using specific DNA markers is a novel approach for studying predator–prey interactions in soil. We designed new specific primer pairs (partial 18S rDNA) for individual soil‐living bacterial‐feeding nematode taxa (Acrobeloides buetschlii, Panagrellus redivivus, Plectus velox and Plectus minimus). Primer specificity was tested against more than 100 non‐target soil organisms. Further, we determined how long nematode DNA can be traced in the gut of predators. Potential predators were identified in laboratory experiments including nine soil mite (Oribatida, Gamasina and Uropodina) and ten springtail species (Collembola). Finally, the approach was tested under field conditions by analyzing five mite and three collembola species for feeding on the three target nematode species. The results proved the three primer sets to specifically amplify DNA of the respective nematode taxa. Detection time of nematode DNA in predators varied with time of prey exposure. Further, consumption of nematodes in the laboratory varied with microarthropod species. Our field study is the first definitive proof that free‐living nematodes are important prey for a wide range of soil microarthropods including those commonly regarded as detritivores. Overall, the results highlight the eminent role of nematodes as prey in soil food webs and for channelling bacterial carbon to higher trophic levels.     

Classification and ordination of communities of soil arthropods in an urban park of Osaka City

To assess the effect of management of a park on soil arthropods, communities of Oribatida and Collembola were analyzed at 11 sites of different vegetation in Tsurumi Park, an urban park of Osaka City. The type of canopy layer and soil density strongly affected the community parameters, such as species diversity. Ordination revealed that soil density, contents of organic matter, and shrub layer were important for variety in the oribatid community; the shrub layer was important for the collembolan community. Species richness of both arthropod groups was highest in a mixed forest and lowest on bare land, while the abundance of Collembola was highest on a lawn site. Areas of a common vegetation type had a similar oribatid community;Trichogalumma nipponica dominated in deciduous forests,Eohypochthonius crassisetiger in mixed forests and one of coniferous forests. On the other hand, collembolan communities did not correspond with the vegetation.Sminthurinus sp. was collected from every site, and the most abundant species wasCryptopygus thermophilus that exhibited an outbreak on lawn sites. A significant correlation existed between species diversities but not between abundances of Oribatida and Collembola.     

Spruce monoculture establishment affects functional traits of soil microarthropod communities

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). The spruce monoculture establishment increased microarthropod densities (93,000 ind. m^?2 in the natural beech forest vs. 400,540 ind. m^?2 in the spruce monoculture for Oribatida; 66,360 ind. m^?2 in the natural beech forest vs. 136,360 ind. m^?2 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.     

Does distance from the sea affect a soil microarthropod community?

Coastal sand dunes are dynamic ecosystems characterized by strong abiotic gradients from the seashore inland. Due to significant differences in the abiotic parameters in such an environment, there is great interest in biotic adaptation in these habitats. The aim of the present study, which was conducted in the northern Sharon sand-dune area of Israel, was to illustrate the spatial changes of a soil microarthropod community along a gradient from the seashore inland. Soil samples were collected from the 0–10 cm depth at five locations at different distances, from the seashore inland. Samples were taken from the bare open spaces during the wet winter and dry summer seasons. The soil microarthropod community exhibited dependence both on seasonality and sampling location across the gradient. The community was more abundant during the wet winter seasons, with an increasing trend from the shore inland, while during the dry summers, such a trend was not observed and community density was lower. The dominant groups within soil Acari were Prostigmata and Endeostigmata, groups known to have many representatives with adaptation to xeric or psammic environments. In addition, mite diversity tended to be higher at the more distant locations from the seashore, and lower at the closer locations, a trend that appeared only during the wet winters. This study demonstrated the heterogeneity of a soil microarthropod community in a coastal dune field in a Mediterranean ecosystem, indicating that the gradient abiotic parameters also affect the abundance and composition of a soil microarthropod community in sand dunes.     

Effect of habitat structural complexity on collembolan communities

We investigated soil microarthropod communities in two physically dissimilar inorganic soil materials and in a mixture of these two materials to examine the effect of the structural complexity of a habitat on microarthropod abundance and communities, teasing it out from that of nutritional factors. Mesh boxes were filled with perlite (a highly porous material), similar size of granite gravels (no pores inside), or their mixture, and placed on a forest floor. The boxes were collected after 8 or 20 months, and the microarthropods were extracted and identified to the species level, with a focus on Collembola. We also evaluated fine-root biomass and the amount of organic matter in the boxes. It was found that the mixture of perlite and granite enhanced microarthropod abundance and root development. A partial redundancy analysis revealed that collembolan communities developed differently among the substrate materials. We also found that variation in the collembolan communities was related to fine-root development and the abundance of other microarthropods, implying that habitat structural complexity affects collembolan communities indirectly by affecting soil food webs.     

Successional changes of Collembola and soil microbiota during forest rotation

Dynamic approaches to forest ecosystems are surprisingly rare. Here we report about successional changes in collembolan community structure and microbial performances during forest rotation. The study was carried out in a chronosequence of four spruce forest stands (5-, 25-, 45-, and 95 years old; Tharandter forest, Germany). CO₂ release significantly increased after clear-cutting and the amount of C stored in the organic layer subsequently declined. The early phase of forest rotation was characterized by a very active decomposer microflora, stimulation of both fungi and bacteria as well as by a high abundance of surface-oriented Collembola. In addition, collembolan species turnover was accelerated. While the biomass of fungi further increased at intermediate stages of forest rotation, the metabolic activity of the microflora was low, the functional diversity of bacteria declined and the collembolan community became impoverished. Euedaphic species dominated during this stage of forest development. These changes can be explained by both reduction in microhabitat diversity and depletion of food sources associated with an accumulation of recalcitrant soil organic matter. Results of the General Regression Model procedure indicate a shift from specific associations between collembolan functional groups and microbiota at the early stage of forest rotation to a more diffuse pattern at intermediate stages. Though the hypothesis that Collembola are relatively responsive to changes in environmental conditions is confirmed, consistently high community similarity suggests a remarkable persistence of some components of microarthropod assemblages. Our study provides evidence for substantial ecosystem-level implications of changes in the soil food web during forest rotation. Moreover, correlations between bacterial parameters and Collembola point to the overarching impact of differences in the composition of the microbial community on microarthropods.     

Microarthropod community structures (Oribatei and Collembola) in Tam Dao National Park, Vietnam

A study on the microarthropod community with special reference to species diversity of Oribatid and Collembola communities (Microarthropoda: Oribatei and Collembola) in Tam Dao National Park of Vietnam, a subtropical evergreen broad leaf alpine forest, was undertaken with the aim to explain how they are related to forest decline, and whether they can be used as bioindicators of forest plant succession. The results have shown that microarthropod community structures, particularly species diversity of oribatid and collembolan communities, are related to forest decline. Therefore they can be used as bioindicators of forest plant succession. In Tam Dao National Park, there was an inverse relation between species diversity of the oribatid and collembola communities. The species diversity of the oribatid community gradually decreased with forest decline whereas the species diversity of the collembola community gradually increased.     

COLD TOLERANCE OF MICROARTHROPODS

1. Microarthropods (Acari and Collembola) are dominant components of the terrestrial fauna in the Antarctic. Their cold tolerance, which forms the mainspring of their adaptational strategy, is reviewed against a background of their structure and function, and by comparison with other arthropods. 2. Two species, the isotomid collembolan Cryptopygus antarcticus Willem and the oribatid mite Alaskozetes antarcticus (Michael), are examined in detail, and afford a comparative approach to the mechanisms underlying cold tolerance in insect and arachnid types. 3. All microarthropods appear to be freezing-susceptible (unable to tolerate tissue ice), and they utilize varying levels of supercooling to avoid freezing. Gut contents are considered to be the prime nucleation site in most arthropods when supercooled, particularly for Antarctic species. Moulting also increases individual supercooling ability especially in Collembola, and the activity of ice-nucleating bacteria in cold-hardy arthropods may be important. 4. Sources of ice nucleators are many and varied, originating externally (motes) or internally (ice-nucleating agents). They act either extracellularly (mainly in the haemolymph) to promote freezing in ice-tolerant life stages, or intracellularly in freezing-susceptible forms. Thermal hysteresis proteins, acting colligatively, occur in many arthropods including Collembola; they depress both the freezing point of body fluids and the whole-body supercooling point of freezing- susceptible and freezing-tolerant species. 5. Bimodal supercooling point distributions are a feature of microarthropods and water droplets. Samples of field populations of Antarctic mites and springtails show significant seasonal changes in these distributions, which in some respects are analogous to purely physical systems of water droplets. Supercooling points are confirmed as accurate measures of cold-hardiness and survival for Antarctic species, but not necessarily for other arthropods. The effects of constant sub-zero temperatures approaching the limit of the supercooling ability of arthropods require study. 6. Desiccation and dehydration influence microarthropod physiology in several ways; in Alaskozetes it triggers glycerol synthesis. Glycerol may aid binding of water in severely dehydrated insects, but the relationship of such ‘bound’ water to cold-hardiness is unclear. 7. Sugar alcohols (polyols) and sugars are accumulated as potential cryoprotectants in many arthropods at low temperatures, and antifreeze systems may be single or multi-component in structure. Cryoprotectant synthesis and regulation have been studied principally in insects, and fresh weight concentrations of 0–3-5 M of polyols have been found. Trehalose accumulation may also influence cold-hardiness. 8. Microarthropods fall within the spectrum of cold tolerance observed for arthropods and other invertebrates. No special adaptations are found in Antarctic species, and similar strategies and mechanisms are present in both insects and arachnids. The colonization and maintenance of microarthropod populations of polar land habitats seem not to have required the evolution of any novel features with respect to cold tolerance.     

山西临汾市郊土壤动物生态分布特征

为了解临汾市郊土壤动物群落多样性及其生态分布特征,2009年4～10月间对山西省临汾市郊7个类型生境中(林地、农田、果园、道路绿化带、汾河滩涂废弃地、重金属污染区农田及林地)的土壤动物群落进行了调查,采用手拣法和干漏斗法,共捕获土壤动物个体5 842只,隶属4门9纲25目。优势类群为弹尾目、蜱螨目和膜翅目,常见类群14种,稀有类群8种。结果显示,土壤动物个体数量因季节不同呈现出一定规律性,即秋季春季夏季。土壤动物垂直分布上,非污染区的1、2、3号样地表聚性明显,中度污染区的4、5号样地表聚性不明显,重度污染区的6、7号样地出现了逆分布现象。在群落多样性指数方面,夏季除了均匀性指数外各项指数的波动比较大。在功能团方面,临汾市郊腐食性动物比例最高,尤其是在重金属污染区,腐食性动物占到了很大比例。而在绿色植物比较茂密的2号样地,植食性动物在数量上占优势。     

Microarthropod density and diversity respond little to spatial isolation

The effect of spatial isolation on the soil microarthropod community of a deciduous forest was investigated for 16 months. Soil animals were confined in plastic tubes (diameter: 7 cm; length: 15 cm). We expected the density and diversity of most microarthropods to decrease with time in isolated habitats and this decline to be more pronounced in species of high trophic level. We also expected that species that are top-down controlled, such as collembolans, would benefit from reduced predator densities whereas species suffering little from enemies, such as oribatid mites, would be little affected. In contrast to these hypotheses, the density and diversity of almost all microarthropod taxa (Gamasina, most groups of Oribatida and Collembola) were not significantly reduced by isolation. Also in contrast to our expectation, the density of predators (Gamasina) increased in isolated habitats. This increase may have resulted from the release of predator pressure, due to the exclusion of macrofauna predators. We conclude that soil microarthropods in the studied forest are insensitive to spatial isolation. Food generalism and parthenogenetic reproduction may enable them to persist in isolated communities.     

Seasonal fluctuation of different edaphic microarthropod population densities in relation to soil moisture and temperature in a pine,Pinus kesiya Royle plantation ecosystem

Seasonal fluctuations of soil and litter microarthropod populations in a pine,Pinus kesiya Royle plantation of North Eastern India were investigated between November 1976 and November 1977. Three major groups were recognized: (a) Collembola, (b) Acarina and (c) miscellaneous. Collembola was the most abundant group and was dominated byIsotoma trispinata (MacGillivray). The total microarthropod density ranged from 26,800 per m² to 145,200 per m². Collembola densities ranged from 10,000 to 121,200 per m², Acarina densities ranged from 8,800 to 41,600 per m², and the miscellaneous group ranged from 1,200 to 6,400 per m². Soil moisture was positively correlated with total arthropod, Collembola and Acarina densities. Soil temperature was positively correlated only with Acarina. Densities of Collembola and Acarina were negatively correlated.The work described in this paper was carried out while the author was at the Department of Zoology, North Eastern Hill University, Shillong, Mehgalaya (India).It was presented at the Ninth International Biometeorological Congress, 23rd Sptember–1st October, 1981, Osnabrück and Stuttgart-Hohenheim, FRG.