Communities of uropodine mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) in selected oak-hornbeam forests of the Wielkopolska region (Poland)

Pristine oak-hornbeam forests are among the richest flora and fauna environments in Poland. The agricultural development of the Wielkopolska region has led to the replacement of forest area with farmland. Consequently, the oak-hornbeam forests became fragmented, resulting in the isolation of local arthropod populations. The aim of this study was to compare the communities of uropodine mites in selected parts of a forest, differing in stand age and composition, physical soil condition and degree of anthropogenic pressure. Species composition of mite communities in a forest near Duszniki (West Poland), transformed by humans, was compared with the mite species composition observed in three nature reserves in its close vicinity. The analyses showed that Trachytes aegrota and Olodiscus minima constitute more than 50% of all communities in each type of tree stand. Diversity in Uropodina communities was higher in older tree stands, as well as in protected areas. Some species, such as Uroobovella pulchella, Uroobovella pyriformis and Dinychus woelkei, are related to specific microhabitats (e.g., they inhabit only dead wood) but there are also ubiquitous species, occurring in all types of environment, e.g., Oodinychus ovalis. Species like Oodinychus karawaiewi and Dinychura cordieri indicate a high degree of forest disturbance. Presence of such species as Trachytes lamda, Cilliba rafalskii, Cilliba cassideasimilis and Trematurella elegans points at high naturalness of soil in oak-hornbeam forests. These species have been found in old (>100 years old) tree stands, where Uropodina communities were also the richest.     

Mites (Acari,Mesostigmata) in boreal Scots pine forest floors: effect of distance to stumps

Coarse woody debris (CWD) is a basic component of forest ecosystems and it plays a crucial role in species-poor boreal forests. Generally, previous studies have focused on differences between the forest floor and decaying logs of various tree species. The impact of distance to CWD has been investigated mainly for forest-floor snails and some groups of macrofauna, but not yet for mesostigmatid mites communities. We hypothesized that the effect of CWD decreases with increasing distance from CWD. To test this hypothesis we conducted a study in relatively species-poor Finnish boreal forest (at ca. 100 km northwest of Helsinki). In total, 81 samples were collected in 2007 from nine Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) stumps, three microhabitats (CWD, soil/litter at 0.5 m from a stump and soil/litter at 1.5 m from a stump) and in three main directions (9 stumps × 3 microhabitats × 3 directions). Overall, 1965 mesostigmatid mites were collected representing 24 species. The mean number of mite species collected was significantly different between decaying stumps and forest litter; however, there was no significant difference between the litter samples at 0.5 and 1.5 m distance. The evenness index was significantly lower for samples collected from stumps than for litter in close (0.5 m) or far (1.5 m) distance. The most frequently encountered mite species were Veigaia nemorensis, Parazercon radiatus and Zercon zelawaiensis.     

No apparent effects of soil inoculum on green frog (Lithobates clamitans Latreille) tadpole performance

Invasions by nonnative plant species are transforming plant communities across the globe. An important challenge for ecologists is to understand how animals will respond to these changes. One way that plant invasions could affect aquatic animals is by changing the rate at which soil communities decompose litter, which could alter the flow of energy and nutrients from plant litter to aquatic communities. In this study, we measured larval amphibian responses to soil conditioned by either introduced or native genotypes of Phragmites australis L. (common reed) in northeastern North America. We collected soil from adjacent stands of introduced and native P. australis at three sites in central New York and inoculated outdoor aquatic mesocosms with soil extracts. Mesocosms contained six Lithobates clamitans Latreille (green frog) tadpoles and either low- or high-quality native P. australis americanus litter. We found that litter decomposition differed based on soil inoculum, and we observed a significant interaction between litter quality and soil inoculum; higher-quality litter tended to decompose faster when exposed to inocula from introduced P. australis, while lower-quality litter tended to decompose faster when exposed to inocula from native P. australis americanus. Tadpoles raised with high-quality litter developed faster and achieved greater body size, but soil inocula had no apparent effect on tadpoles. Our results suggest that plant invasions may alter microbial communities, causing subtle changes in litter decomposition rates, but these changes do not appear strong enough to influence larvae of a widespread amphibian.     

Little evidence for niche partitioning among ectomycorrhizal fungi on spruce seedlings planted in decayed wood versus mineral soil microsites

Ectomycorrhizal fungal (EMF) communities vary among microhabitats, supporting a dominant role for deterministic processes in EMF community assemblage. EMF communities also differ between forest and clearcut environments, responding to this disturbance in a directional manner over time by returning to the species composition of the original forest. Accordingly, we examined EMF community composition on roots of spruce seedlings planted in three different microhabitats in forest and clearcut plots: decayed wood, mineral soil adjacent to downed wood, or control mineral soil, to determine the effect of retained downed wood on EMF communities over the medium and long term. If downed and decayed wood provide refuge habitat distinct from that of mineral soil, we would expect EMF communities on seedlings in woody habitats in clearcuts to be similar to those on seedlings planted in the adjacent forest. As expected, we found EMF species richness to be higher in forests than clearcuts (P ≤ 0.01), even though soil nutrient status did not differ greatly between the two plot types (P ≥ 0.05). Communities on forest seedlings were dominated by Tylospora spp., whereas those in clearcuts were dominated by Amphinema byssoides and Thelephora terrestris. Surprisingly, while substrate conditions varied among microsites (P ≤ 0.03), especially between decayed wood and mineral soil, EMF communities were not distinctly different among microhabitats. Our data suggest that niche partitioning by substrate does not occur among EMF species on very young seedlings in high elevation spruce-fir forests. Further, dispersal limitations shape EMF community assembly in clearcuts in these forests.     

Nesting habitat segregation between closely related terricolous sphecid species (Hymenoptera:Spheciformes): key role of soil physical characteristics

Microhabitat selection based on abiotic factors was examined in five species of digger wasps (Sphex funerarius, Ammophila heydeni, Ammophila pubescens, Ammophila sabulosa, Bembix tarsata), four of which are of high conservation interest. All the study sites were located in areas affected by anthropogenic disturbance (reclaimed brown-coal mining areas, and railway dykes) in Central Europe. The individual species responded differentially to the variability in each of the physical characteristics measured, which resulted in site-specific exclusion of individual sphecid species. The sphecids were found to discriminate between available microhabitats based on ground inclination (slope) and vegetation cover. All but A. heydeni segregated the microhabitats according to the content of gravel and sand particles. S. funerarius and B. tarsata were limited by their preferences of low soil compactness, whereas A. pubescens utilized highly compacted soils, which were predominant in the study area. Soil shear strength (cohesiveness) was driving the level of gregariousness of the sphecids. In B. tarsata, number of cells per burrow was found to be higher in soils with increased penetration resistance. Experimental increase in soil compactness led to the abandonment of nesting microhabitats in the subsequent nesting seasons. Besides the well-known biotic factors, such as specialization at different size or type of prey, variability in abiotic factors between individual microhabitats (e.g. patches of sand) was found to be both necessary and sufficient to allow the parallel presence of viable populations of several sphecid species.     

Effects of Litter Addition on Ectomycorrhizal Associates of a Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta) Stand in Yellowstone National Park

Increasing soil nutrients through litter manipulation, pollution, or fertilization can adversely affect ectomycorrhizal (EM) communities by inhibiting fungal growth. In this study, we used molecular genetic methods to determine the effects of litter addition on the EM community of a Pinus contorta stand in Yellowstone National Park that regenerated after a stand-replacing fire. Two controls were used; in unmodified control plots nothing was added to the soil, and in perlite plots perlite, a chemically neutral substance, was added to maintain soil moisture and temperature at levels similar to those under litter. We found that (i) species richness did not change significantly following perlite addition (2.6 ± 0.3 species/core in control plots, compared with 2.3 ± 0.3 species/core in perlite plots) but decreased significantly (P < 0.05) following litter addition (1.8 ± 0.3 species/core); (ii) EM infection was not affected by the addition of perlite but increased significantly (P < 0.001) in response to litter addition, and the increase occurred only in the upper soil layer, directly adjacent to the added litter; and (iii) Suillus granulatus, Wilcoxina mikolae, and agaricoid DD were the dominant organisms in controls, but the levels of W. mikolae and agaricoid DD decreased significantly in response to both perlite and litter addition. The relative levels of S. granulatus and a fourth fungus, Cortinariaceae species 2, increased significantly (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively) following litter addition. Thus, litter addition resulted in some negative effects that may be attributable to moisture-temperature relationships rather than to the increased nutrients associated with litter. Some species respond positively to litter addition, indicating that there are differences in their physiologies. Hence, changes in the EM community induced by litter accumulation also may affect ecosystem function.     

Microbiology of diverse acidic and non-acidic microhabitats within a sulfidic ore mine

A wide variety of microhabitats within the extremely acidic abandoned underground copper mine Zlaté Hory (Czech Republic) was investigated. SSU rDNA libraries were analyzed from 15 samples representing gossan, sulfide-leaching environments in the oxidation zone, and acidic water springs in the mine galleries. Microbial analyses were extended by analyses of chemical composition of water and solid phases and identification of arising secondary minerals. The microbial communities of the three main classes of microenvironments differed in almost every aspect. Among others, ecological partitioning of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and the recently described A. ferrivorans was observed. Distinct types of communities inhabiting the water springs were detected. The more extreme springs (pH?<3, conductivity?>2?mS/cm) were inhabited by “Ferrovum” spp. and A. ferrivorans, whereas Gallionella sp. dominated the less extreme ones. A new role for gossan in the extremely acidic ecosystem is proposed. This zone was inhabited by a large diversity of neutrophilic heterotrophs that appeared to be continuously washed out to the acidic environments localized downstream. Five species originating in gossan were found in several acidic habitats. Here they can survive and probably serve as scavengers of dead biomass, particularly from chemoautotrophic growths. No such process has been described from acidic mine environments so far.     

Seashore in the mountain: limestone‐associated land snail fauna on the oceanic Hahajima Island (Ogasawara Islands,Western Pacific)

Because land snails inhabiting the seashore are most likely to be carried by ocean currents or by attaching to seabirds, land snail fauna on oceanic islands include species derived from the mainland ancestors inhabiting the seashore. If habitat use of the island descendants is constrained by the ecology of the mainland ancestor, the island species that moved from the coastal habitat to the inland habitat may still be restricted to relatively exposed microhabitats with high pH, calcium carbonate‐rich substrates, and poor litter cover. We tested this hypothesis by investigating the association between environmental conditions and species diversity of seashore‐derived species of the endemic land snails on the oceanic Hahajima Island (Ogasawara Islands). Seashore‐derived species showed higher species richness on limestone outcrops than non‐limestone areas, whereas the other species showed no significant increase in species richness in limestone outcrops. There was a higher proportion of seashore‐derived species on the limestone ridges than on the soil of dolines, even in the limestone area. Accordingly, the species derived from the seashore of the mainland are restricted to microhabitats with poor vegetation cover, poor litter cover, high pH, and calcium carbonate‐rich substrates, which supports the hypothesis that the inland species on an island derived from the mainland seashore still prefer environments similar to the seashore. In addition, the seashore‐derived species on the limestone outcrop include cave‐dwellers lacking functional eyes. This suggests that the probability of colonizing a cave environment is restricted to seashore‐derived species. The findings obtained in the present study suggest that habitat use of the ancestral lineages can constrain habitat use of the descendants, even in the oceanic islands with depauperate fauna. This bias in the species composition on the limestone outcrop constrains lineages that can colonize and adapt to the inside of caves, and therefore, habitat use of the ancestral lineages affects the ability of descendant lineages to colonize novel habitats. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 102 , 686–693.     

Roadside revegetation by native plants: I. Roadside microhabitats,floristic zonation and species traits

Recognizing the severity of road effects and need for developing a natural and self-sustained roadside vegetation cover, this study aimed to provide an ecological basis for selecting desirable native plants based on their autecological attributes by floristic analysis of naturally colonized plants in roadside microhabitats. We hypothesized that (i) vegetation zonation along roadsides is a function of the different microtopography and substrate types (microhabitats) created by road construction and (ii) plant colonization in these microhabitats is dependant upon the presence of suitable regeneration traits adapted to the specific microhabitats. We identified four distinct microhabitats namely shoulder, side slope, ditch and back slope from the edge of the road to the edge of the forest. We conducted vegetation and soil analyses in these microhabitats along 34 random transects running perpendicular to the road to the edge of forest in a 14 km section of the Trans Canada Highway (TCH) in Terra Nova National Park (TNNP), Newfoundland, Canada. The multi-response permutation procedure (MRPP) confirmed that the plant communities of the four roadside microhabitats were significantly different from each other. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that composition of roadside plant communities was related to gradients of soil moisture content, bulk density, organic matter depth and pH. Several indicator plants, determined by indicator species analysis (ISA), were abundant in their respective microhabitats, indicating their affinity to particular sets of environmental conditions. The root–shoot analysis of selected dominant plants across the roadside habitats revealed that plants of a particular microhabitat had similar above and below ground spread and biomass allocation patterns.We found that floristic zonation along roadsides is a function of roadside microtopography, substrate type and environmental gradients created by the road building process. The similarities in above and below ground spread and biomass allocation patterns of dominant plants of respective microhabitats could be used as a basis of interpreting the role of autecological attributes of the species that enable them to establish in specific microhabitats. Several native plants, such as Empetrum nigrum, Juniperus communis, Vaccinium angustifolium, Trifolium repens, and Anaphalis margaritaceae are naturally abundant in side slopes and possess autecological attributes such as low stature, widespread above- and below-ground parts, and drought tolerance. Presence of these desirable properties and their perennial habit make them excellent candidates for roadside revegetation.     

Vegetation of rock clefts and ledges in the Pamir Alai Mts, Tajikistan (Middle Asia)

The paper presents the results of phytosociological research conducted on the vegetation of rock clefts and ledges in the Pamir-Alai Mountains (Tajikistan, Middle Asia). During the field studies, done in 2010–2012, 101 phytosociological relevés were taken. Plant species were recorded according to the Braun-Blanquet cover-abundance scale. Communities of calcareous rock clefts and ledges with small soil amounts from several ranges (Zeravshan Mts, Hissar Mts, Hazratishokh Mts, Darvaz Mts, Rushan Mts and Vanch Mts), inhabiting mainly the alpine and subnival zone, have been described. A synopsis of the rock communities of the Pamir-Alai is proposed. In the examined vegetation plots 77 vascular plant and 6 moss species were noted. The most frequent were: Achoriphragma pinnatifidum, Artemisia rutifolia, Asperula albiflora, Campanula incanescens, C. lehmanniana, Parietaria judaica, Pentanema albertoregelia, Poa relaxa and Stipa zeravshanica among vascular plants and Brachythecium albicans and Bryum caespiticum among mosses. Most of them are narrow endemics of Tajikistan or Middle Asia. The collected material presents most of the variability among the phytocoenoses of large crevices and rock ledges in limestone massifs in the alpine and subnival zones. As a result of field research and numerical analyses, 7 associations have been distinguished: Achoriphragmetum pinnatifidi, Asperulo albiflorae-Stipetum zeravshanicae, Inuletum glaucae, Paraquilegietum anemonoidis, Pentanemetum albertoregeliae, Rhinactinidietum popovii and Saussureaetum ovatae. The distinctiveness of habitat and species composition of Middle Asiatic rock communities makes it necessary to distinguish a new suballiance, Pentanemenion albertoregeliae, within the Asperulo albiflorae-Poion relaxae alliance. The main factors determining the species composition of classified associations seem to be the elevation above sea level and exposition. Alpine rock communities are one of the most unique and interesting plant formations in the moutainous areas of Pamir-Alai. Despite not being species-rich they often harbour many specialists adapted to harsh and extreme environments, especially in areas of Mediterranean-like climate.     

Decoupling litter barrier and soil moisture influences on the establishment of an invasive grass

Background and aims

Through recruitment, plants establish in novel environments. Recruitment also is the stage where plants undergo the highest mortality. We investigate the recruitment niche for Microstegium vimineum, an annual grass from East Asia spreading throughout eastern North American forests.

Methods

Current observational and greenhouse research indicates that M. vimineum recruitment may be inhibited by leaf litter and promoted by soil moisture; we use field studies to experimentally test how these factors influence M. vimineum germination, seedling survival and reproduction. Specifically, we introduce M. vimineum seeds into forest microhabitats with experimentally varied levels of soil moisture and leaf litter.

Results

Soil moisture increases M. vimineum germination regardless of leaf litter thickness and ameliorates seedling mortality in deep leaf litter. Seed production per m² increases with watering, reflecting higher germination and survival, whereas per capita seed production increases with leaf litter thickness, reflecting density-dependent limits on seed production.

Conclusions

The interactive effects of varied levels of soil moisture and leaf litter thickness on key M. vimineum life history stages highlight the need to consider multiple drivers, such as rainfall and local forest disturbance, when assessing how soil properties influence the establishment of invasive plants.     

Linking scorpion (Arachnida: Scorpiones) assemblage with fragment restoration in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Habitat loss due to forest degradation can induce changes in species richness due to variation in species susceptibility to environmental stress. This is particularly important for species with highly specific microhabitats, such as scorpions that inhabit forest habitats. In this study, the richness and abundance of these arachnids were compared between an old-growth (mature) and secondary (65 years under natural restoration) forests. Seasonal influence was also evaluated by comparing diversity between dry and wet seasons. The animals were collected through nocturnal active search using UV lamps and pitfall traps in both areas (old-growth and secondary). Both environments showed similar breast heights of trees, litter depth, litter dry mass, and understory density, indicating a high level of restoration. Scorpion diversity (characterized by Tityus pusillus, T. neglectus, T. brazilae, Bothriurus asper, and Ananteris mauryi) and abundance were not influenced by the different historical usage of both areas. In contrast, the abundance of these arachnids was highly affected by rain regimes, and increased during the dry season. These results suggest that 65 years was a sufficient time period for restoration, making it possible to maintain similar scorpion assemblages in both environments.     

Specific Microbial Communities Associate with the Rhizosphere of Welwitschia mirabilis,a Living Fossil

Welwitschia mirabilis is an ancient and rare plant distributed along the western coast of Namibia and Angola. Several aspects of Welwitschia biology and ecology have been investigated, but very little is known about the microbial communities associated with this plant. This study reports on the bacterial and fungal communities inhabiting the rhizosphere of W. mirabilis and the surrounding bulk soil. Rhizosphere communities were dominated by sequences of Alphaproteobacteria and Euromycetes, while Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and fungi of the class Dothideomycetes jointly dominated bulk soil communities. Although microbial communities within the rhizosphere and soil samples were highly variable, very few “species” (OTUs defined at a 97% identity cut-off) were shared between these two environments. There was a small ‘core’ rhizosphere bacterial community (formed by Nitratireductor, Steroidobacter, Pseudonocardia and three Phylobacteriaceae) that together with Rhizophagus, an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus, and other putative plant growth-promoting microbes may interact synergistically to promote Welwitschia growth.     

Interacting effects of leaf litter species and macrofauna on decomposition in different litter environments

The leaf litter environment (single species versus mixed species), and interactions between litter diversity and macrofauna are thought to be important in influencing decomposition rates. However, the role of soil macrofauna in the breakdown of different species of leaf litter is poorly understood. In this study we examine the multiple biotic controls of decomposition – litter quality, soil macrofauna and litter environment and their interactions. The influence of soil macrofauna and litter environment on the decomposition of six deciduous tree species (Fraxinus excelsior L., Acer pseudoplatanus L., Acer campestre L., Corylus avellana L., Quercus robur L., Fagus sylvatica L.) was investigated in a temperate forest, Wytham Woods, Southern England. We used litterbags that selectively excluded macrofauna to assess the relative importance of macrofauna versus microbial, micro and mesofauna decomposition, and placed single species bags in either conspecific single species or mixed species litter environments. The study was designed to separate plant species composition effects on litter decomposition rates, allowing us to evaluate whether mixed species litter environments affect decomposition rates compared to single species litter environments, and if so whether the effects vary among litter species, over time, and with regard to the presence of soil macrofauna. All species had faster rates of decomposition when macrofauna were present, with 22–41% of the total mass loss attributed to macrofauna. Macrofauna were most important for easily decomposable species as soon as the leaves were placed on the ground, but were most important for recalcitrant species after nine months in the field. The mass loss rates did not differ between mixed and single species litter environments, indicating that observed differences between single species and mixed species litterbags in previous field studies are due to the direct contact of neighbouring species inside the litterbag rather than the litter environment in which they are placed.     

Microbial communities may modify how litter quality affects potential decomposition rates as tree species migrate

Background and aims

Climate change alters regional plant species distributions, creating new combinations of litter species and soil communities. Biogeographic patterns in microbial communities relate to dissimilarity in microbial community function, meaning novel litters to communities may decompose differently than predicted from their chemical composition. Therefore, the effect of a litter species in the biogeochemical cycle of its current environment may not predict patterns after migration. Under a tree migration sequence we test whether litter quality alone drives litter decomposition, or whether soil communities modify quality effects.

Methods

Litter and soils were sampled across an elevation gradient of different overstory species where lower elevation species are predicted to migrate upslope. We use a common garden, laboratory microcosm design (soil community x litter environment) with single and mixed-species litters.

Results

We find significant litter quality and microbial community effects (P?<?0.001), explaining 47 % of the variation in decomposition for mixed-litters.

Conclusion

Soil community effects are driven by the functional breadth, or historical exposure, of the microbial communities, resulting in lower decomposition of litters inoculated with upslope communities. The litter x soil community interaction suggests that litter decomposition rates in forests of changing tree species composition will be a product of both litter quality and the recipient soil community.     

Three common bryophilous fungi with meristematic anamorphs and phylogenetic alliance to Teratosphaeriaceae,Capnodiales

Bryophilous ascomycetes are an overlooked and poorly known fungal group. In this study, the extreme and small-sized niche of Polytrichum piliferum hyaline leaf tips was screened for the presence of these fungi in Finland. Three closely related species were found. Bryochiton perpusillus and Bryochiton monascus were identified from several samples, and DNA isolations revealed a third closely related species, Bryochiton sp. In addition, melanised hyphae, typical to the Bryochiton species, were present in all the samples. According to phylogenetic analyses consisting of combined small subunit (SSU), large subunit (LSU), and 5.8S rDNA sequences, and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA sequences, the species showed affinity with Teratosphaeriaceae within Capnodiales, and especially with black, meristematic species often inhabiting rock substrate in extreme environments. The connection was supported by meristematic growth of the Bryochiton species in culture. Bryochiton is the second sexual genus associated within the family Teratosphaeriaceae, and B. perpusillus, and B. monascus constitute examples of teleomorphs within a group of meristematic anamorphs. These findings emphasize the multiform diversity underlying poorly researched fungal groups, such as the bryophilous fungi.     

Phyllosphere Bacterial Community of Floating Macrophytes in Paddy Soil Environments as Revealed by Illumina High-Throughput Sequencing

The phyllosphere of floating macrophytes in paddy soil ecosystems, a unique habitat, may support large microbial communities but remains largely unknown. We took Wolffia australiana as a representative floating plant and investigated its phyllosphere bacterial community and the underlying driving forces of community modulation in paddy soil ecosystems using Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform-based 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The results showed that the phyllosphere of W. australiana harbored considerably rich communities of bacteria, with Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes as the predominant phyla. The core microbiome in the phyllosphere contained genera such as Acidovorax, Asticcacaulis, Methylibium, and Methylophilus. Complexity of the phyllosphere bacterial communities in terms of class number and α-diversity was reduced compared to those in corresponding water and soil. Furthermore, the bacterial communities exhibited structures significantly different from those in water and soil. These findings and the following redundancy analysis (RDA) suggest that species sorting played an important role in the recruitment of bacterial species in the phyllosphere. The compositional structures of the phyllosphere bacterial communities were modulated predominantly by water physicochemical properties, while the initial soil bacterial communities had limited impact. Taken together, the findings from this study reveal the diversity and uniqueness of the phyllosphere bacterial communities associated with the floating macrophytes in paddy soil environments.     

Intraplant distribution of Acalitus essigi (Acari: Eriophyoidea) on blackberries (Rubus fruticosus agg.)

Specialised phytophagous arthropods often display high levels ofspecificity to particular sites on their host plant. In this paper we examinethe occupation of microhabitats and aggregation patterns of the eriophyoidmite,Acalitus essigi (Hassan), on its host plant, Europeanblackberry (Rubus fruticosus L. aggregate), a plant thatundergoes significant seasonal changes in its morphology. A.essigi was found to be a refuge inhabiting species. It resided inbudand leaf axil microhabitats on both primocanes and fructocanes and alsooccupiedberry and bract microhabitats on fructocanes. Population fluctuations withinthedifferent microhabitats were evident across seasons. From summer to winter,populations significantly declined in bract and leaf axil microhabitats, butsignificantly increased within bud microhabitats where overwintering took placeas slowly reproducing colonies. Live fruit and young shoots were alsoidentifiedas overwintering sites. A. essigi populations displayed anaggregated distribution both within and between individual blackberry canes.Within primocanes A. essigi were aggregated in the lower20% of cane length. On fructocanes aggregation of A.essigiwas in the lower 20% and especially in the upper 20% of cane length. In springA. essigi was confirmed to emerge from bud overwinteringsites and colonise shoots mainly in the lower third of the previousseason's primocanes, suggesting limited dispersal away from overwinteringsites. It is proposed that biotic factors such as tissue age, microhabitatmorphology and limited ambulatory dispersal capabilities are responsible fortheaggregation patterns of this mite.     

Testate amoebae (Testacea) in a <Emphasis Type="Italic">Formica lugubris</Emphasis> nest: Fauna composition and structure

The fauna of testate amoebae (Testacea) in a Formica lugubris anthill and in litter layers from the control soil area in a spruce forest, Moscow region, was represented by a total of 43 species and subspecies. Their numbers ranged from 11000 ind./g air-dry substrate in the surface layer of the anthill to 62000 ind./g in the lower litter layer A0H/A1, with variation in species diversity between the samples being insignificant (24–30 species). Representatives of the genera Centropyxis, Cyclopyxis, Plagiopyxis, Corythion, and Trinema were dominant, whereas most of other species were few in numbers. The group of testacean species in the anthill was not specific, being a derivative of the testacean complex inhabiting the surrounding soil. Differences between litter layers and between these layers and substrates from the anthill concerned mainly the composition of the testacean community, which proved to change in the course of plant material decomposition: the aerophilic complex of upper layers (dominated by Centropyxis aerophila and Trinema lineare) was substituted by an edaphophilic complex (with Plagiopyxis declivis being dominant) in the nest mound of the anthill and in the lower litter layers. Plagiopyxis penardi was a eudominant species in the nest mound. Its especially high abundance is explained by deep transformation of plant remains in the nest (from moder to mull-like substrate) as the result of ant life activities.     

Conversion of rainforest into oil palm and rubber plantations affects the functional composition of litter and soil Collembola

Rainforest conversion and expansion of plantations in tropical regions are associated with changes in animal communities and biodiversity decline. In soil, Collembola are one of the most numerous invertebrate groups that affect the functioning of microbial communities and support arthropod predators. Despite that, information on the impact of changes in land use in the tropics on species and trait composition of Collembola communities is very limited. We investigated the response of Collembola to the conversion of rainforest into rubber agroforestry (“jungle rubber”), rubber, and oil palm plantations in Jambi Province (Sumatra, Indonesia), a region which experienced one of the strongest recent deforestation globally. Collembola were sampled in 2013 and 2016 from the litter and soil layer using heat extraction, and environmental factors were measured (litter C/N ratio, pH, water content, composition of microbial community and predator abundance). In the litter layer, density and species richness in plantation systems were 25%–38% and 30%–40% lower, respectively, than in rainforest. However, in the soil layer, density, species richness, and trait diversity of Collembola were only slightly affected by land‐use change, contrasting the response of many other animal groups. Species and trait composition of Collembola communities in litter and soil differed between each of the land‐use systems. Water content and pH were identified as main factors related to the differences in species and trait composition in both litter and soil, followed by the density of micro‐ and macropredators. Dominant species of Collembola in rainforest and jungle rubber were characterized by small body size, absence of furca, and absence of intense pigmentation, while in plantations, larger species with long furca and diffuse or patterned pigmentation were more abundant. Overall, land‐use change negatively affected Collembola communities in the litter layer, but its impact was lower in the soil layer. Several pantropical genera of Collembola (i.e., Isotomiella, Pseudosinella, and Folsomides) dominated across land‐use systems, reflecting their high environmental adaptability and/or efficient dispersal, calling for studies on their ecology and genetic diversity. The decline in species richness and density of litter‐dwelling Collembola with the conversion of rainforest into plantation systems calls for management practices mitigating negative effects of the deterioration of the litter layer in rubber plantations, but even more in oil palm plantations.