Alexey A. Kudrin

We investigated vertical stratification of mite communities (Oribatida, Mesostigmata, and Prostigmata) along tropical tree architecture in Cát Tiên National Park, Vietnam. We examined two phylogenetically unrelated but architecturally similar tree species, Haldina cordifolia and Dipterocarpus alatus ; both are tall trees with straight cylindrical trunks, fissured bark, spreading crowns, and large leaves. To investigate potential interaction between sampling method and observed ecological patterns, we compared two methods—Tullgren–Berlese and substrate washing—for extraction of mites from tree bark. Across forest floor and arboreal samples, we identified 140 species of Oribatida, 70 species of Mesostigmata, and 57 species of Prostigmata. Numerically, arboreal acarofauna was dominated by Oribatida. Tree species identity did not influence total mite species richness, community composition of all Acari and Oribatida, or Oribatida abundance. Mesostigmata and Prostigmata were more abundant on H. cordifolia . Microhabitat had a significant effect on the abundance of arboreal Mesostigmata and Prostigmata but not Oribatida, and on species richness and community composition of arboreal acarofauna, with certain species restricted to specific tree zones irrespective of tree species. Assemblages formed three clusters: communities of (i) soil, litter, and trunk base, (ii) bark on upper trunk, and (iii) canopy branches and leaves. Substrate washing yielded higher abundances of Oribatida and Prostigmata and a higher number of detected species than Tullgren–Berlese extraction, with each method capturing a different species assemblage. To avoid bias, a complementary combination of methods is recommended for comprehensive assessment of arboreal mite biodiversity.

Motivation: Soil communities are highly diverse. Due to a lack of spatially attributed data, our understanding of the geographical distribution of soil biodiversity across Europe and the factors driving this distribution remains limited. The NemEu database aims to fill this gap by providing nematode community data at genus or family level across Europe. This level of taxonomic resolution facilitates the discovery of nematode distribution patterns beyond feeding‐group level, as well as the calculation of nematode‐based indices of soil food‐web dynamics. Main Types of Variable Contained: The dataset contains nematode abundance data classified by taxon, along with associated metadata: geographic coordinates, sampling date and season, soil depth, land use type, and site descriptors. Spatial Location and Grain: The NemEu database encompasses 1567 unique European locations, primarily concentrated in western Europe, spanning latitudes from southern Portugal to the Ural Mountains. The precision of the coordinates varies from approximately 11 km to 0.01 m. Time Period and Grain: Sampling spans from 1975 to 2020, where 90% of locations were sampled between 1999 and 2020. The season of sampling is recorded for all locations, and the year for all but two. Sampling month and day are available for 76% and 60% of locations, respectively. Major Taxa and Level of Measurement: A total of 276 nematode taxa were recorded, of which 56 families and 220 genera. Software Format: .csv.

This article presents the temporal organization of springtail communities in tundra ecosystems across European Russia. These ecosystems share similar climatic conditions but vary in vegetation type, permafrost depth, and soil temperature. Our study included both pristine tundra and secondary biocenoses formed due to agricultural activities in the North. In the small-bush and dwarf shrub tundra, the springtail population structure remains relatively stable. This stability is indicative of long-term maintenance of the phytocenosis composition and structure, allowing us to characterize these springtail communities as structurally stable. However, in less favorable environments, such as the large-bush and cold moss-lichen tundra, the springtail communities exhibit slight fluctuations. These fluctuations are marked by an extended set of the dominant species that replace each other over time. In contrast, highly fluctuating springtail communities are characteristic of secondary biocenoses.

This article presents the temporal organization of springtail communities in tundra ecosystems across the European Russia. These ecosystems share similar climatic conditions but vary in vegetation type, permafrost occurrence, and soil temperature. Our study included both pristine tundra and secondary biocenoses formed due to agricultural activities in the North. In the small-bush and dwarf shrub tundra, the springtail population structure remains relatively stable. This stability is indicative of long-term maintenance of the phytocenosis composition and structure, allowing us to characterize these springtail communities as structurally stable. However, in less favorable environments, such as the large-bush and cold moss-lichen tundra, the springtail communities exhibit slight fluctuations. These fluctuations are marked by an extended set of the dominant species that replace each other over time. In contrast, highly fluctuating springtail communities are characteristic of secondary biocenoses. These findings highlight the impact of environmental conditions and human activities on the stability and diversity of springtail communities in tundra ecosystems.

The processes of matter and energy metabolism in forest ecosystems are largely dependent on the activity of the complex of invertebrates associated with litter and soil. To quantify the effect of forest harvesting on soil fauna, we used a meta-analysis to examine a database of 720 responses to harvesting collected from 52 publications from boreal and temperate forests. Overall, forest harvesting was found to decrease the abundance of soil fauna while not affecting its richness. However, the reaction of soil fauna to forest harvesting differed significantly among the taxonomic groups, with negative, neutral, and positive effects observed. We found that the negative effect of forest harvesting on soil fauna increased with decreasing body size. In addition, the type of forest and harvesting practice played important roles in driving the responses of soil biota to forest harvesting. The abundance of Nematoda, Oribatida, and Enchytraeidae recovered to control values occurring approximately 10 years after harvesting. Despite the limitations of the dataset, the results obtained from our meta-analysis expand our understanding of the reaction of soil fauna to forest harvesting.

In order to assess the effect of snow cover on the feeding activity of soil detritivores in the middle taiga, a short-term field experiment has been carried out. On the experimental plots in the blueberry-green-moss spruce forest, snow was removed in winter and the feeding activity of soil animals was assessed using the bait-lamina test in the subsequent growing season. Untreated sites served as controls. The absence of snow cover led to a significant freezing of the soil and reduced the feeding activity in the forest litter by 11.4%, while the activity in the underlying mineral soil remained almost unchanged.

A characterization of the spatial distribution of soil biota (nematodes, microarthropods, large soil invertebrates) in plant communities of the southeastern sector of the Bolshezemelskaya tundra (Komi Republic, environs of Vorkuta) is given. For all groups of soil invertebrates studied, an aggregated distribution was noted, in which the body size of the organism plays a certain role. It is shown that the level of moisture in the soils of tundra ecosystems does not significantly affect the spatial distribution of various groups of soil organisms.