Summary
A comparative field study was conducted to study the correlation between forest vitality and the abundance of soil microarthropods. During 5 years the vitality of six pine forests within the Veluwe area, the Netherlands, was estimated by the number of needle year-classes, while soils were sampled and extracted for various soil microarthropod groups. Within sites the number of needle year-classes in the forest stands fluctuated over the 5 years, while the collembolan family Sminthuridae showed a trend towards a decreasing population density and the density of the cryptostigmatid mite Platynothrus peltifer Koch increased. Among sites there was a significant positive correlation between the number of needle year-classes and the relative abundance of P. peltifer. The results imply that soil microarthropods may indicate changes in physical and chemical factors in relation to soil fertility and vitality of the trees.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aamlid D, Venn K, Stevens AO (1992) Regional evaluation of acid deposition effects on forests: European forests. In: Johnson DW, Lindberg SE (eds) Atmospheric deposition and forest nutrient cycling. Ecological Studies, vol 91, Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg, pp 543–570
André HM, Bolly C, Lebrun Ph (1982) Monitoring and mapping air pollution through an animal indicator: A new and quick method. J Appl Ecol 19:107–111
Anonymous (1990) De vitaliteit van het Nederlandse bos 8. Report 1990–19, Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries, The Hague
Bååth E, Lundgren B, Söderström B (1979) Effects of artificial acid rain on microbial activity and biomass. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 23:737–740
Bååth E, Berg B, Lohm U, Lundgren B, Lundkvist H, Rosswall T, Söderström B, Wiren A (1980) Effects of experimental acidification and liming on soil organisms and decomposition in a Scots pine forest. Pedobiologia 20:85–100
Bewley RJF, Stotzky G (1983) Simulated acid rain (H2SO4) and microbial activity in soil. Soil Biol Biochem 15:425–429
Clausen IHS (1986) The use of spiders (Araneae) as ecological indicators. Bull Br Arachnol Soc 7:83–86
Denneman CAJ, Kraak MHS, Van Straalen NM (1988) Bodemdieren als indicator van de vitaliteit van dennenbossen op de Veluwe. Ned Bosb Tijdschr 58:204–208
Fog K (1988) The effect of added nitrogen on the rate of decomposition of organic matter. Biol Rev 63:433–462
Gisin H (1960) Collembolenfauna Europas. Mus Hist Nat Genève
Hågvar S (1982) Collembola in Norwegian coniferous forest soils. I. Relations to plant communities and soil fertility. Pedobiologia 24:255–296
Hågvar S (1984a) Effects of liming and artificial acid rain on Collembola and Protura in coniferous forest. Pedobiologia 27:341–354
Hågvar S (1984b) Six common mite species (Acari) in Norwegian coniferous forest soils: Relations to vegetation types and soil characteristics. Pedobiologia 27:355–364
Hågvar S (1990) Reactions to soil acidification in microarthropods: Is competition a key factor? Biol Fertil Soils 9:178–181
Hågvar S, Abrahamsen G (1984) Collembola in Norwegian coniferous forest soils. III Relations to soil chemistry. Pedobiologia 27:331–339
Hågvar S, Amundsen T (1981) Effects of liming and artificial acid rain on the mite (Acari) fauna in coniferous forest. Oikos 37:7–20
Hartmann P, Scheitler M, Fischer R (1989) Soil fauna comparisons in healthy and declining Norway spruce stands. In: Schulze E-D, Lange OL, Oren R (eds) Forest decline and air pollution. Ecological Studies, vol 77, Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg, pp 137–150
Heungens A, Van Daele E (1984) The influence of some acids, bases and salts on the mite and Collembola population of a pine litter substrate. Pedobiologia 27:299–311
Heij GJ, Schneider T (eds) (1991) Acidification research in the Netherlands. Studies in Environmental Science 46, Elservier, Amsterdam
Koskenniemi A, Huhta V (1986) Effects of fertilization and manipulation of pH on mite (Acari) populations of coniferous forest soil. Rev Ecol Biol Sol 23:271–286
Moriarty F (1983) Ecotoxicology. The study of pollutants in ecosystems. Academic Press, London
Nihlgård B (1985) The ammonium hypothesis: An additional explanation to the forest dieback in Europe. Ambio 14:2–8
Pitelka LF, Raynal DJ (1989) Forest decline and acidic deposition. Ecology 70:2–10
Schenker R (1986) Population dynamics of oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatei) in a forest soil ecosystem. Pedobiologia 29:239–246
Sellnick M (1960) Formenkreis: Hornmilben, Oribátei. In: Brohmer P, Ehrmann P, Ulmer G (eds) Tierwelt Mitteleuropas, vol 3, IX. Quelle und Meyer, Leipzig, pp 1–42
Sokal RR, Rohlf FJ (1981) Biometry, 2nd edn. Freeman and Co, San Francisco, California
Swift MJ, Heal OW, Anderson JM (1979) Decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford
Takeda H (1987) Dynamics and maintenance of collembolan community structure in a forest soil system. Res Popul Ecol 29:291–346
Tamm CO (1976) Acid precipitation: Biological effects in soil and on forest vegetation. Ambio 5:235–238
Tamm CO, Hallbäcken L (1988) Changes in soil acidity in two forest areas with different acid deposition: 1920s to 1980s. Ambio 17:56–61
Van Breemen N, Van Dijk HFG (1988) Ecosystem effects of atmospheric deposition of nitrogen in the Netherlands. Environ Pollut 54:249–274
Van Straalen NM, Rijninks PC (1982) The efficiency of Tullgren apparatus with respect to interpreting seasonal changes in age structure of soil arthropod populations. Pedobiologia 24:197–209
Van Straalen NM, Geurs M, Van der Linden JM (1987) Abundance, pH preference and mineral content of Oribatida and Collembola in relation to vitality of pine forests in the Netherlands. In: Perry R, Harrison RM, Bell JNB, Lester JN (eds) Acid rain: Scientific and technical advances. Selper Ltd, London, pp 674–679
Van Straalen NM, Kraak MHS, Denneman CAJ (1988) Soil microarthropods as indicators of soil acidification and forest decline in the Veluwe area, the Netherlands. Pedobiologia 32:47–55
Verhoef HA, Brussaard L (1990) Decomposition and nitrogen mineralization in natural and agro-ecosystems: the contribution of soil animals. Biogeochemistry 11:175–211
Verhoef HA, Meintser S (1991) The role of soil arthropods in nutrient flow and the impact of atmospheric deposition. In: Veeresh GK, Rajagopal D, Viraktamath CA (eds) Advances in management and conservation of soil fauna. Xth Int Soil Zool Coll and 7th Int Coll Apterygota, Bangalore, India, August 1988. Vedams Books Int, New Delhi, pp 497–506
Vilkamaa P, Huhta V (1986) Effects of fertilization and pH on communities of Collembola in pine forest soil. Ann Zool Fenn 23:167–174
Weigmann G, Kratz W (1987) Oribatid mites in urban zones of West Berlin. Biol Fertil Soils 3:81–84
Wolters V (1991) Biological processes in two beech forest soils treated with simulated acid rain: A laboratory experiment with Isotoma tigrina (Insecta, Collembola). Soil Biol Biochem 23:381–390
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hogervorst, R.F., Verhoef, H.A. & van Straalen, N.M. Five-year trends in soil arthropod densities in pine forests with various levels of vitality. Biol Fertil Soils 15, 189–195 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00361610
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00361610