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Diversity
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Soil Fauna Diversity under Global Change
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Soil Fauna Diversity under Global Change

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 November 2022) | Viewed by 10968

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Xin Sun

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
Interests: soil biodiversity; urban soil fauna diversity; soil fauna functional diversity; ecological and evolutional processes of soil fauna community assembly
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Liang Chang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Environment, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130012, China
Interests: Soil food webs and their ecological function
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Pingting Guan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun,130117, China
Interests: soil micro-food web; soil biodiversity; nematode; soil organism functional diversity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soil fauna, including Enchytraeid, nematodes, Collembola, mites, earthworms and other soil-dwelling invertebrates, are abundant across biomes. They are closely connected with soil and microorganisms and jointly regulate the functions of soil ecosystems. Compared with the more deeply researched microorganisms in soil biodiversity, the current research on soil animals is relatively lacking.

Global changes such as climate change and land use patterns can affect the community structure and diversity of soil fauna. Soil fauna, as predators and vectors of microorganisms and plants, affect greatly soil ecological functions through their own activities and cascade effects, which in turn have complex effects on the nutrient cycling and energy flux of the soil ecosystem. Therefore, it is an urgent need to understand the response of soil fauna diversity to global change. Understanding of the trend of the impact of global change on soil fauna community will  provide a scientific basis for mitigating the impact of global change to terrestrial ecosystems.

This Special Issue gives us a good opportunity to demonstrate research advance of the topic “soil fauna diversity under global change”. We kindly invite you to contribute a manuscript and present your work on this topic. If you are interested in this opportunity, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Prof. Dr. Xin Sun
Dr. Liang Chang
Dr. Pingting Guan
Guest Editors

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 2600 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

  • nematodes
  • Collembola
  • mites
  • soil arthropods
  • earthworm
  • community
  • climate change
  • land use types

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 1507 KiB  
Article
Post-Fire Recovery of Soil Nematode Communities Depends on Fire Severity
by Marek Renčo, Martin Adámek, Veronika Jílková and Miloslav Devetter
Diversity 2022, 14(12), 1116; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14121116 - 15 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1755
Abstract
Following the creation of a new organic layer after a forest fire, there is an initial build-up phase of overall biota. We studied soil nematode community development in a chronosequence of post-fire coniferous forest sites in relation to different fire severity. The taxonomic [...] Read more.
Following the creation of a new organic layer after a forest fire, there is an initial build-up phase of overall biota. We studied soil nematode community development in a chronosequence of post-fire coniferous forest sites in relation to different fire severity. The taxonomic and functional composition of the soil nematode community was analyzed to detect immediate changes and levels of post-fire recovery in soil food web structures, i.e., 0, 1, 4, 8, 14, 20, 45, and 110 years after the event. Unburned forest sites served as controls. With small exceptions recorded immediately after the burn (mean nematode abundance, total biomass), the low severe wildfires had no impacts on the structures of nematode communities. The structures of nematode communities were found to be stable on sites affected by low severe wildfires, without considerable fluctuations in comparison to the unburned sites during chronosequence. On the contrary, nematode communities responded considerably to fires of high severity. The significant changes, i.e., a decrease of mean nematode abundance, plant parasites, omnivores and predators, species number, and nematode diversity, the values of CI, SI, MI, but an increase in the number of bacterivores and EI were recorded immediately after the fire. Such status, one year after a fire of high severity, has been observed. Full recovery of nematode communities 14 years after the disruption was found. Overall, our results showed that fire severity was a considerable element affecting soil nematode communities immediately after events, as well as the time needed to recover communities’ structure during post-fire chronosequence. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Fauna Diversity under Global Change)
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21 pages, 4542 KiB  
Article
Karst Dolines Support Highly Diversified Soil Collembola Communities—Possible Refugia in a Warming Climate?
by Michal Marcin, Natália Raschmanová, Dana Miklisová, Jozef Šupinský, Ján Kaňuk and Ľubomír Kováč
Diversity 2022, 14(12), 1037; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14121037 - 26 Nov 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1367
Abstract
Karst dolines, as geomorphologically diverse natural landforms, usually exhibit more or less steep microclimatic gradients that provide a mosaic of diverse microhabitat conditions, resulting in a high diversity of soil biota with numerous rare endemic and/or relict species occupying these habitats. In this [...] Read more.
Karst dolines, as geomorphologically diverse natural landforms, usually exhibit more or less steep microclimatic gradients that provide a mosaic of diverse microhabitat conditions, resulting in a high diversity of soil biota with numerous rare endemic and/or relict species occupying these habitats. In this study, we investigated the spatial patterns of Collembola abundance, species richness, community structure and distribution of functional groups at topographically and microclimatically different sites across three open (unforested) karst dolines in a north-south direction in the Slovak Karst, Slovakia. We also assessed the refugial capacity of dolines for collembolan communities. The Friedman ANOVA test confirmed the significant differences in soil mean temperatures between the sites of all the dolines selected. The diverse soil microclimatic conditions within the dolines supported higher Collembola diversity (species numbers, diversity indices) compared with sites on the karst plateau and showed a potential to facilitate the persistence of some species that are absent or very rare in the surrounding landscape. In dolines with circular morphology and comparable size, the topography and soil microclimate had a stronger effect on community composition and structure than soil organic carbon. Shallow solution dolines provided microhabitats for various functional groups of soil Collembola in relation to the microclimatic character of the individual sites. It was observed that such landforms can also function as microclimatic refugia for cold-adapted species through the accumulation of colder air and the buffering of the local microclimate against the ambient mesoclimate, thus underlying the necessity of adequate attention in terms of the conservation of the karst natural phenomena. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Fauna Diversity under Global Change)
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12 pages, 2363 KiB  
Article
Land-Use Types Influence the Community Composition of Soil Mesofauna in the Coastal Zones of Bohai Bay, China
by Xiaoxue Zheng, Yan Tao, Zhongqiang Wang, Xinchang Kou, Haixia Wang, Shengzhong Wang and Donghui Wu
Diversity 2022, 14(12), 1035; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14121035 - 26 Nov 2022
Viewed by 1221
Abstract
Soil faunal communities play key roles in maintaining soil nutrient cycling. Affected by different land-use types, soil environment and soil faunal communities change significantly. However, few studies have focused on the aforementioned observations in coastal zones, which provide suitable habitats for many species [...] Read more.
Soil faunal communities play key roles in maintaining soil nutrient cycling. Affected by different land-use types, soil environment and soil faunal communities change significantly. However, few studies have focused on the aforementioned observations in coastal zones, which provide suitable habitats for many species of concern. Here, we investigated the changes in soil mesofaunal communities under different land-use types, including cotton fields, jujube trees, ash trees, a saline meadow, and wetlands. The variations in land-use types affected the community composition and diversity of soil mesofauna in the coastal zones. The taxa of soil mesofauna had different responses to land-use types in the coastal zones. Isotomidae was regarded as an indicator taxon of the coastal cropland regions. Entomobryidae was considered to be an indicator taxon of coastal artificial trees. Meanwhile, Onychiuridae and three taxa (Brachycera, Armadillidiidae, and Gammaridae) were indicator taxa of the coastal terrestrial ecosystem and the coastal wetland ecosystem, respectively. Thus, we suggested that specific soil mesofaunal taxa were considered to be appropriate bioindicators for land-use types in the coastal zones. The results of this study were helpful to develop guidelines for coastal biodiversity and ecosystem conservation in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Fauna Diversity under Global Change)
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14 pages, 1610 KiB  
Article
Soil Invertebrate Communities as Indicator of Ecological Conservation Status of Some Fertilised Grasslands from Romania
by Minodora Manu, Raluca I. Băncilă, Owen J. Mountford and Marilena Onete
Diversity 2022, 14(12), 1031; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14121031 - 25 Nov 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2007
Abstract
Quantification of soil biological status, through investigation of edaphic communities’ composition, constitutes an important factor for the assessment of the grassland ecosystems, including their protection. The structure of soil invertebrate communities was investigated for five grasslands under different chemical and organic treatments, for [...] Read more.
Quantification of soil biological status, through investigation of edaphic communities’ composition, constitutes an important factor for the assessment of the grassland ecosystems, including their protection. The structure of soil invertebrate communities was investigated for five grasslands under different chemical and organic treatments, for the first time in Romania. In order to accomplish this task, some structural parameters were quantified: numerical abundance, taxa richness, Shannon diversity index of taxa and equitability. We demonstrated the relationship between five environmental factors (vegetation coverage, soil temperature, soil acidity, soil resistance at penetration, soil moisture content) and the community structures of soil fauna. In total, 17 invertebrate groups were identified with a total numerical abundance of 14,953 individuals. Considering the numerical abundance, the dominant taxa were Acaridae, Collembola, Oribatida and Mesostigmata, the least dominant being Coleoptera, Opiliones and Araneae. In spatial dynamics the investigated plots were characterised specifically by soil invertebrates’ communities’ structures, highlighted by the varied values of structural parameters: by indicator taxa and by the characteristic average values of environmental parameters. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that the most important environment parameters influencing the soil taxa were vegetation coverage (especially on Acaridae, Glycyphagidae and Formicoidea) and soil resistance at penetration (Nematoda and Coleoptera). This study constitutes a scientific argument for the usage of soil invertebrate communities as indicators of the ecological conservation status of some fertilised grasslands. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Fauna Diversity under Global Change)
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17 pages, 2317 KiB  
Article
Investigating the Assemblages of Two Groups of Collembola (Strong Furca and Weak Furca) under Different Agricultural Management Systems, Northeastern China
by Tayyiba Habib, Shuchen Liu, Liang Chang, Yunga Wu, Cao Hao and Donghui Wu
Diversity 2022, 14(11), 994; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14110994 - 17 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1365
Abstract
Agriculture itself has been considered one of the leading reasons for biodiversity loss because of the huge quantity of land dedicated to just this activity, and agricultural intensification has impacted soil organisms at several taxonomic levels. Soil biota is a vital component of [...] Read more.
Agriculture itself has been considered one of the leading reasons for biodiversity loss because of the huge quantity of land dedicated to just this activity, and agricultural intensification has impacted soil organisms at several taxonomic levels. Soil biota is a vital component of the agricultural system, providing essential ecosystem services while also having synergistic impacts on crop yield. Preservation of their diversity becomes a major element of an agricultural sustainability strategy. Many studies focused on agricultural activities’ effects on soil organisms, but few of them have focused on their effects on the co-occurrence patterns of their communities. Collembola communities are frequently employed as a substitute for soil organisms; thus, as a surface-dwelling arthropods representative, we investigated assemblages of soil Collembola in reaction to the arrangement of 6 treatments varying in crop rotation (MC: monoculture (corn) vs. CS: corn–soybean rotation) and tillage types (MP: mould ploughing; RT: ridge tillage; and NT: no-tillage). We hypothesized that Collembola communities with strong furca would respond well to the agricultural practices than those with weak furca, and there would be strong co-occurrence between species of Collembola communities belonging to the treatments with less intensity of soil disturbance and more variation in crop rotation. Our study found no clear evidence of a beneficial effect of crop rotation on Collembola communities. Although Collembola with strong furca shows higher abundances in plots with mold plowing, weak furca abundances were not showing any difference (differences in abilities to move fast from harsh habitats could be the reason for different responses of these two groups). Network analysis revealed that Collembola assemblages seem to occur more responsive to tillage intensity than crop rotation. Network graphs of treatments with ridge tillage are significantly more clustered than all others. For the first time, we can show that assemblages of springtails in agriculture were distinguished by a pattern of co-occurrence alongside agricultural practices (crop rotation, soil tillage), showing variations in the disturbance of soil and soil nutrients. Our results, contrary to our expectations, demonstrated that the effects of agricultural activities on Collembola abundance and diversity could be weak after long-term application of the same treatment, but still, they will clearly affect the bonds between Collembola species by affecting their co-occurrence pattern in Collembola communities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Fauna Diversity under Global Change)
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8 pages, 924 KiB  
Article
Advancing Mitochondrial Metagenomics: A New Assembly Strategy and Validating the Power of Seed-Based Approach
by Shiyu Du, Jie Dong, Nerivânia N. Godeiro, Jun Wu and Feng Zhang
Diversity 2022, 14(5), 317; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14050317 - 21 Apr 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2130
Abstract
Mitochondrial metagenomics (MMG) using Illumina sequencers for mixed-species samples provides a promising tool for evolutionary and ecological studies using mitogenomes. However, the traditional assembly procedure is still computationally intensive and expensive. Here, a novel MMG pipeline was applied to different DNA extractions, one [...] Read more.
Mitochondrial metagenomics (MMG) using Illumina sequencers for mixed-species samples provides a promising tool for evolutionary and ecological studies using mitogenomes. However, the traditional assembly procedure is still computationally intensive and expensive. Here, a novel MMG pipeline was applied to different DNA extractions, one per species, and their sequence as a mixed sample for rapid mitogenome assembly is presented. Our method integrated a faster and more accurate read mapper for filtering non-mitochondrial reads. A seed-and-extend assembler for species-specific mitogenomes that detects ‘noisy species/sequences’ was also assessed. The MMG pipeline for each dataset was completed in a few hours on desktop PCs, maintaining high accuracy and completeness (COI divergence >10%), except for some very closely related taxa. Particularly for closely related species, the exclusion of ‘noisy reads’ (including chimera of non-targeted species) improved the target assembly. In addition, we observed that short barcodes used as references had almost identical detection power compared with mitogenomes but required greater sequencing depth. We tested our MMG pipeline on two real and one simulated dataset to validate its high efficiency in mixed-species sample mitogenome assembly. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Fauna Diversity under Global Change)
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