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Scientia Silvae Sinicae ›› 2021, Vol. 57 ›› Issue (11): 119-133.doi: 10.11707/j.1001-7488.20211112

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Diversity of Soil Arthropods during Cinnamomum camphora and Pinus massoniana Litter Decomposition in Low Mountainous and Hilly Areas of Sichuan

Jingru Liu1,Yi Cao2,Han Li1,Li Zhang1,Chengming You1,Zhenfeng Xu1,Bo Tan1,*   

  1. 1. Institute of Ecology & Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University Sichuan Province Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Desertification Control Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River of National Forestry and Grassland Administration Chengdu 611130
    2. Pengzhou Municipal Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources Chengdu 611930
  • Received:2020-10-19 Online:2021-11-25 Published:2022-01-12
  • Contact: Bo Tan

Abstract:

Objective: We conducted a 4-year (2011-2015) litterbag experiment with Cinnamomum camphora and Pinus massoniana litter to explore the dynamics of soil arthropod diversity during the litter decomposition in low mountains and hilly areas of Sichuan, and the changes of the composition and diversity of the soil arthropods community were determined. The objectives of the study are to understand the differences between the short-term and long-term changes of the composition distribution in the soil arthropod community during the long-term litter decomposition, and the changes of soil arthropod diversity during the decomposition of different types of litters. Method: In November 2010, 15 litter collectors were installed in the study site of C. camphora and P. massoniana forests. The fallen leaves of two tree species were collected monthly, and then brought back to the lab for air drying. In October 2011, the air-dried leaves (10±0.05 g) were put into prepared littebags (20 cm×20 cm, the upper and lower apertures were 3 mm and 0.04 mm, respectively). In November 2011, all the litterbags were buried in five (5 m×5 m) plots on the forest floor and the buried litter decomposition bags were retrieved 11 times from December 2011 to October 2015. The soil arthropods were separated and collected by Tullgren funnel, and then counted and classified under anatomical microscope and biological microscope. Result: During the 4-year study period, a total of 4 648 soil arthropods were captured in the litterbags of C. camphora and P. massoniana, belonging to 17 orders and 58 families. The dominant groups of C. camphora were Isotomidae, Onychiuriclae, Liacaridae and Nothridae. The individual density and group number of soil arthropods in the two litter leaves had similar dynamics. The individual density of soil arthropod community in C. camphora reached the highest at 746 d and fell rapidly afterwards, while the that in P. massoniana reached the highest at 398 d. The two communities reached maximum at 746 d, with similar dynamics of group number in the litter decomposing processes. Fungivore arthropods had the highest proportion in the both litters, accounting for 39.48% and 38.78% of the total catch, respectively. The saprophagous arthropods presented the lowest, accounting for 8.02% and 8.05%, respectively. With the decomposition process of litter, phytophagy and predatory arthropods reduced, while the fungivore arthropods increased. Non-metric multidimensional scale (NMDS) results showed a high similarity in the composition of the two soil arthropod communities. Cluster analysis showed that the similarity of soil arthropod community structure diminished with the decomposition process. Conclusion: The soil arthropod community structure is significantly affected by litter types and decomposition phase during litter decomposition in low mountains and hills area. Compared with broadleaf litter, coniferous litter is more dependent on specific groups of soil arthropods. The differences in soil arthropod community composition and diversity in disparate litter types are most obvious in the mid-decomposition phase (2-3 years), indicating the importance of long-term monitoring of soil fauna response to litter decomposition.

Key words: soil arthropods, functional group, litter types, litter decomposition, subtropical forest

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