Influence of the forest mosaic on functional diversity of earthworms (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae) (on the example of forest-steppe Ob region in Novosibirsk area)
S. A. ERMOLOV
Center for Forest Ecology and Productivity of RAS, Moscow, Russia
Keywords: earthworms, living forms, forest-steppe Ob region, pine forests, birch-aspen forests, deadwood, forest mosaic
Abstract
In pine and birch-aspen forests that are typical for forest-steppe Ob region in Novosibirsk area we conducted a study of earthworm populations (Lumbricidae) with taking into account forest mosaic. A detailed analysis of the structure of earthworm complexes made it possible to identify concrete species and living forms that are biotopically distributed to both a certain type of forest and a forest microsite. Asian species mainly predominate in pine forests, cosmopolitans in birch-aspen forests. Differences in the population of forest microsites in terms of earthworm population density and biomass are more pronounced in the forest gaps than in the spaces under tree crown and between tree crown, especially in pine forests. Studying the population of earthworms in the deadwood we revealed the characteristic features of complexes structure for each type of forest: in pine forests incomplete deadwood earthworm complexes complement soil ones, in birch-aspen forests, deadwood is a specific microsite with a full-complete earthworm complex.
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