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Soil detritivore macro-invertebrate assemblages throughout a managed beech rotation

Les assemblages de macro-invertébrés détritivores du sol d’une rotation de futaie de hêtre

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Abstract

This work addresses the driving factors responsible for patterns in the detritivore macrofaunal communities of a managed beechwood chronosequence (28 to 197 years old, Normandy, France). We investigated the variation patterns of density, biomass and diversities of detritivore macrofauna throughout this rotation. Multivariate analyses were carried out to identify the main covariation patterns between species and some properties of their physical environment, and to describe the main ecological gradients constraining the macro-invertebrate community assembly. A total of 6 earthworm, 6 woodlouse and 7 millipede species were found in the whole data set. Density, biomass and diversity were profoundly influenced by forest ageing, mainly because of variation in humic epipedon spatial variability. Three groups of species were identified according to their environmental requirements. Some hypotheses regarding the external (related to management practices) or internal (related to inter-specific interactions) assembly rules behind species assemblages are proposed, an approach which has rarely been used in soil ecology. Finally, the impact of forestry practices on soil functioning through their impact on detritivore macro-invertebrate communities is discussed.

Résumé

Ce travail a pour but d’identifier les facteurs responsables des schémas de variation des communautés de la macrofaune detritivore d’une chronoséquence (28 à 197 ans) de futaie régulière de hêtre (Normandie, France). Les modèles de variation de la densité, la biomasse et la diversité ont été recherchés. Les modèles de covariation entre les espèces et certaines propriétés physiques du milieu ainsi que les gradients écologiques qui contraignent les assemblages de macro-détritivores ont été décrits à l’aide d’analyses multivariées. En tout, 6 espèces de vers de terre, 6 espèces d’isopodes et 7 espèces de diplopodes ont été identifiées. La maturation du peuplement de hêtre, principalement par les modifications de l’épisolum humifère, influence fortement les densité, biomasse et diversité. Trois groupes d’espèces sont identifiés sur la base de leurs exigences environnementales. Quelques hypothèses sont proposées quant aux règles externes (liées aux pratiques sylvicoles) et internes (liées aux relations interspéciques) qui contraignent la composition des assemblages d’espèces, cette approche ayant jusqu’à présent été peu utilisée en écologie du sol. Enfin, l’impact des pratiques sylvicoles sur le fonctionnement du sol, au travers de leur impact sur les communautés de macro-détritivores, est discuté.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire d’Écologie, ECODIV, UPRES-EA 1293, UFR Sciences et Techniques, Université de Rouen, 76821, Mont Saint Aignan Cedex, France

    Mickaël Hedde, Michaël Aubert, Fabrice Bureau, Pierre Margerie & Thibaud Decaëns

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  1. Mickaël Hedde
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  2. Michaël Aubert
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  3. Fabrice Bureau
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  4. Pierre Margerie
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  5. Thibaud Decaëns
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Correspondence to Mickaël Hedde.

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Hedde, M., Aubert, M., Bureau, F. et al. Soil detritivore macro-invertebrate assemblages throughout a managed beech rotation. Ann. For. Sci. 64, 219–228 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1051/forest:2006106

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