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An important role of decomposing wood for soil environment with a reference to communities of springtails (Collembola)

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment volume 191, Article number: 222 (2019) Cite this article

Abstract

Present study focused on how the presence of decaying wood affects soil environment including its biota. The study was carried out in the montane spruce forest, disturbed by wind and bark beetles in Trojmezná Mt. of the Bohemian Forest in the Czech Republic. According to the results, presence of decomposing wood influenced soil environment in terms of its chemical properties by increasing soil pH and total carbon content significantly in soil below the trunks compared with soil from further distance. Decomposing wood did not affect total density and species richness of Collembola, but it had a significant influence on species composition and some species were more abundant in soil right below the trunks whereas others preferred soil environment further from them. Finally, significant relations, both positive and negative, were recorded between some Collembola species and ammonium. Thus, this substance might play a role of a volatile attractant in soil environment.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Daniel Vaněk for his technical support.

Funding

This study was supported by the Czech Science Foundation (projects P 504-17-15229S and 13-23647P).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Soil Biology, Na Sádkách 7, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

    Peter Čuchta

  2. Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Hydrobiology, Na Sádkách 7, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

    Jiří Kaňa

  3. Department of Ecosystem Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Branišovská 1645/31a, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

    Jiří Kaňa

  4. Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00, Praha 6 – Suchdol, Czech Republic

    Václav Pouska

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  1. Peter Čuchta
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Correspondence to Peter Čuchta.

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Appendix

Appendix

Table 3 List of Collembola species and their mean density [ind.m−2] at sites under study in 2013–2015
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Čuchta, P., Kaňa, J. & Pouska, V. An important role of decomposing wood for soil environment with a reference to communities of springtails (Collembola). Environ Monit Assess 191, 222 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-019-7363-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-019-7363-x

Keywords

  • Decomposing wood
  • Decay
  • Saprotrophic fungi
  • Ammonium content
  • Community data
  • Collembola