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Origin and distribution of soil fauna in human dominated landscapes: biodiversity in urban and agro-ecosystems
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A-Nasatum, 2006, Photo: Katy Juhaszova
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The main question of this study is how past and present land use affects the diversity and distribution of soil invertebrate assemblages. We are assessing soil fauna in urban and rural forest fragments, parks, and anthropogenic land uses, such as lawns and planting beds. We have conducted comparative surveys in Baltimore, MD, Budapest, Hungary, and through the GLOBENET project we have datasets on several Western and Central European cities, as well. We are also assessing soil macrofauna in agricultural systems at the USDA-BARC Long-Term Farming System Project in Beltsville, MD that assesses the long-term sustainability of three different cropping systems: organic, no till and chisel till plots. As collaborators in this project we compare spatio-temporal patterns of the decomposer food web.
Taxonomic groups we focus on at a species level include: Earthworms (Oligochaeta), terrestrial isopods (Oniscidea) millipedes (Diplopoda) ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) carrion beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae). Other macroarthropods are assessed at family or higher taxonomic level. Mesofauna studies include springtails (Collembola) and mites (Acari). This work resulted in description of three species new to science. An additional two and four species proved to be new to the fauna of North America, and Hungary, respectively. A reference collection of the material has been established at the Johns Hopkins University. The proportion of non-native fauna varies with taxonomic group. The two Coleoptera families (Silphidae and Carabidae) are dominated by native species (100% and 98% respectively), whereas only non-native isopods are found in the Mid-Atlantic region.
| | BES Permanent Forest Plots | Agricultural Field |
| Group | Leakin park (Urban) | Hillsdale (Urban) | Oregon Ridge (Rural) | USDA Beltsville |
| Oligochateta (Earthworms) | 4 | 2 | 7 | 4 |
| Oniscidea (Isopods) | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Diplopoda (Millipedes) | 10 | 8 | 5 | 4 |
| Carabidae (Ground beetles) | 17 | 11 | 11 | 31 |
| TOTAL | 35 | 24 | 25 | 42 |
Table 1. Species richness of soil macro-invertebrates in urban and agricultural habitats. Data for the USDA cropping systems are pooled.
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Figure 1. Earthworm biomass in the BES permanent forest plots
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Collaborators
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Csaba Csuzdi (Hungarian Natural History Museum)
Elisabeth Hornung (Szent Istvan University, Budapest)
Zoltan Korsos (Hungarian Natural History Museum)
Michel Cavigelli (USDA BARC)
Michael S. Clark Berea College
Foster Purrington (Ohio State University)
Richard Pouyat (USDA Forest Service)
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Students
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Scot Pitz (JHU)
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Papers
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O-asellus, 2006, Photo: Katy Juhaszova
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Clark, S.M., K. Szlavecz and M. Cavigelli: Ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) assemblages in conventional, no-till and organic cropping systems. Environmental Entomology 35:1304-1312.
Csuzdi, Cs. and K. Szlavecz: 2003. Lumbricus friendi Cognetti, 1904 a new exotic earthworm from North America. Northeastern Naturalist 10 (1): 77-82.
Hornung, E. and K. Szlavecz. 2003 Establishment of a Mediterranean Isopod (Chaetophiloscia sicula Verhoeff, 1908) in a North American Temperate Forest. Crustaceana Monographs 2: 181-189.
Korsós, Z., E. Hornung, K. Szlávecz & J. Kontschán 2002. Isopoda and Diplopoda of urban habitats: New data to the fauna of Budapest. Ann. Zool Nat. Hist. Mus. Hung. 94: 45-51.
Csuzdi, Cs. and K. Szlavecz. 2002. Diplocardia patuxentis, a new earthworm species from Maryland, North America (Oligochaeta: Acanthodrilidae). Ann. Zool Nat. Hist. Mus. Hung. 94:
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Links
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http://www.ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.htm?docid=8816
http://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/12650400/FSP%20Research%20Summaries.pdf
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