Invertebrates in Canopy and Ground Organic Matter in a Neotropical Montane Forest, Costa Rica

Authors:
  • NNNalini M. Nadkarni
    Nalini M. Nadkarni
  • JLJohn T. Longino
    John T. Longino
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Abstract
In a neotropical doud forest of Costa Rica, we compared the density and composition of macro- and mesoinvertebrates in organic marter found within the canopy to that found in the upper so11 horizons on the forest floor. We used a Winkler sifting apparatus to extract invertebrates from accumulated litter and humus. The numerically dominant invertebrate groups in both canopy humus and forest Boor leaf litter were mites, adult beetles, holomerabolous in- larvae, ants, collernbola, amphipods, and isopods. Relative abundances of the major taw were the same in canopy and on the forest floor, indicating that canopy organic matter sham a fundamentally similar invertebrate community with forest floor. All of these groups except ants had significantly higher densities in the canopy, with a mean dens~ty 2.6 times greater on the ground than in the canopy. Ant density was similar in both microhabitats.