Community Structure of Soil Macrofauna Under Pure and Mixed Forest Stands

Abstract

Soil macrofauna includes arthropods and soft-bodied invertebrates with different trophic groups and sizes larger than 2mm. Macrofauna affects important ecosystem functions such as decomposition, nutrient cycling, soil structure, and suppression of population density of pathogens. Besides, they play an important role in biogeochemical cycles that affect plant diversity, abundance, succession, and production. The study conducted on pure oak (Quercus petraea L.) and beech (Fagus orientalis L.) stands and oak-beech mixed stands, it was aimed to investigate the density, diversity, and community structures of macrofauna. Pitfall traps were used to collect the macrofauna in the research area in the Atatürk Arboretum located in the Belgrad Forest of Istanbul. Sampling was done monthly for one year. Macrofauna density was found statistically higher in the oak-beech mixed stand (606 bry. m-2) compared to pure oak (478 bry. m-2) and pure beech stand (470 bry. m-2). According to the Shannon diversity index, there was no significant difference in macrofauna diversity between oak (H'= 1.24), beech (H' = 1.29) and oak-beech (H'= 1.28) stands. In general, predators constitute the most dominant trophic group in pure and mixed stands.

Keywords

• Macroinvertebrate
• Community
• Trophic group
• Soil fauna
• Oak
• Beech

Toprak Makrofaunasının Saf ve Karışık Meşcerelerdeki Komünite Yapıları

Abstract

Toprak makrofaunası, farklı trofik gruplar içeren ve boyutları 2mm’den büyük olan eklembacaklılar ile yumuşak vücutlu omurgasızları içermektedir. Makrofauna, ayrışma, besin döngüsü, toprak strüktürü ve hastalık yapan canlıların popülasyon yoğunluğunu dengede tutmak gibi önemli ekosistem fonksiyonlarını etkiler. Ayrıca bitkilerin çeşitliliğini, bolluğunu, süksesyonunu ve üretimini etkileyen biyojeokimyasal döngülerde çok önemli rolleri vardır. Saf meşe (Quercus petraea L.) ve kayın (Fagus orientalis L.) meşcereleri ile meşe-kayın karışık meşceresinde yürütülen çalışmada makrofaunanın miktar, çeşitlilik ve komünite yapılarının araştırılması amaçlanmıştır. İstanbul Belgrad Ormanı içerisinde yer alan Atatürk Arboretumu’unda yürütülen çalışmada makrofaunayı örneklemek için çukur tuzaklar kullanılmıştır. Örnekleme aylık olarak bir yıl boyunca yapılmıştır.
Meşe-kayın karışık meşceresinde (606 bry. m-2) makrofauna miktarı saf meşe (478 bry. m-2) ve saf kayın meşceresine (470 bry. m-2) kıyasla istatistiksel olarak fazla bulunmuştur. Shannon çeşitlilik indeksine göre makrofauna çeşitliliği meşe (H'=1,24), kayın (H'=1,29) ve meşe-kayın (H'=1,28) meşcereleri arasında önemli bir fark çıkmamıştır. Genel olarak saf ve karışık meşcerelerdeki en baskın trofik grubu yırtıcılar oluşturmaktadır.

Keywords

• Makroeklembacaklı
• Komünite
• Trofik grup
• Toprak faunası
• Meşe
• Kayın

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