Object of study – the peculiarities of the formation of litter invertebrate community composition and changes of its quantity and quality characteristics in pine stands of different ecological forest conditions of Zhytomyr Polissya.
The goal of the dissertation study was to investigate the ecological features and composition of litter invertebrate community as the quality indicator and potential bioindicator of pine stands in Zhytomyr Polissya.
Research methods. The following methods were used in the study: forestry taxation, zoological, microscopic, ecological, cameral, mathematical and statistical.
Theoretical and practical results. Litter mesofauna structure in fresh pure-pine forest and fresh mixed-pine forest in cuts, non-closed, young, middle-aged and mature stands was analyzed and reasons for possible use of litter mesofauna as a quality indicator and potential bioindicator of pine forest stands condition were provided.
In all sampled litters, invertebrate communities were composed predominantly of mites (Acari) and springtails (Collembola) – representatives of microarthropods, which constituted from 96 to 99 % of all extracted animals. Other invertebrates included representatives of the following taxa: Aranae, Pseudoscorpionida, Annelida, Nematode, Centipedes, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Diptera, and insects’ larvae.
Mean annual density of animals in litter samples increased with forest stand age. In most cases, statistically significant difference was observed between cut and young or older stands. The significant drop in invertebrate abundance in cuts compared to young and older stands might be caused by forest management activity.
Oribatida and Prostigmata mites as well as collembolas dominated among microarthropods. The structure of microathropod community changed with stand age. Relative abundance of mesostigmats and astigmats increased whereas collembolas decreased. Statistically significant changes were observed in middle-aged and mature stands compared to cuts. Fluctuations in relative content of oribatids and prostigmats were not significant. According to taxonomic richness, Shannon’s and Simpson’s biodiversity indices as well as index of similarity after Marczewski and Steinhaus, litter in young, middle-aged and mature stands has similar invertebrate community.
In most cases, changes in litter invertebrate community composition depended on the changes in relative abundance of oribatids, prostigmats and sometimes collembolas. Mean annual absolute abundance of all litter invertebrates as well as their main taxa in fresh mixed-pine forest stands was higher than in fresh pure-pine forest stands.
Аcari to collembola ratio in fresh pure-pine forest stands in all studied regions changed with stand age; however, within the same age group there was no statistical difference between three studied regions. Аcari to collembola ratio in nonclosed and mature stands in three studied regions significantly differed.
Novelty. For the first time for Zhytomyr Polissya condition, the density and composition of litter invertebrate communities in fresh pure-pine and fresh mixed-pine forests of cuts, non-closed, young, middle-aged and mature stands were studied in three regions of Zhytomyr Polissya; mean absolute density and litter mesofauna community structure were analyzed; reasons for the use of litter invertebrates as a quality indicator and potential bioindicator for forest stands condition were provided; the relationship between absolute litter invertebrate density and type of forest ecologic condition as well as stand age was found.
The degree of implementation. The results of dissertation study have been introduced into and are used in the teaching process at Zhytomyr National Agro-Ecological University by Departments of Forest Resources Exploitation, Parasitology and Veterinary-Sanitary Expertise, Zoology, are introduced into practice at State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection as one of the main criteria for epizootic status evaluation of territories on tick contamination of domestic and wild animals. Based on the study results, the recommendations for Zhytomyr regional directorate of forestry and game industry were developed and approved.
Scope (area) of use – forestry, entomology, ecology.
