Kolesnikova A.A., Konakova T.N. 2019. [Soil macrofauna of the boreal forests in the north-eastern part of European Russia] // Euroasian Entomological Journal. Vol.18. No.5: 312–319 [in Russian, with English summary].
Institute of biology Komi Science Center, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kommunisticheskaya Str. 28, Syktyvkar 167982 Russia. E-mail: kolesnikova@ib.komisc.ru; konakova@ib.komisc.ru
doi: 10.15298/euroasentj.18.5.02
ABSTRACT. Data on the taxonomic diversity and abundance of soil macrofauna are provided in four types of pine forest (lichen, green moss and lichen, green moss, sphagnum), and in four types of spruce forest (green moss, hair cap moss, sphagnum, herb) in the Komi Republic (north-eastern part of European Russia). The macrofauna of pine forests is represented by 12 supraspecific taxa, dominated by Aranei, Lithobiidae, Staphylinidae and Carabidae. The high taxonomic diversity of soil invertebrates is characteristic of the green moss type pine forests in the middle taiga. A decrease in diversity and abundance of soil invertebrates is noted in pine forests of lichen and sphagnum type in the middle taiga. The macrofauna abundance is not significantly different in the northern taiga pine forests of green moss and sphagnum type; however, they are dominated by Lumbricidae, Coccidae, Thysanoptera, Cantharidae and Diptera. The soil macrofauna of spruce forests consists of 16 taxa, of which Aranei and Lithobiidae are dominant. The decrease in the relative abundance of Staphylinidae and Carabidae in spruce forests as a result of the decrease in the number of ecological niches due to the continuous uniform moss cover. However, rare groups of invertebrates (Polyzoniidae, Geophilidae, Pseudoscorpiones) are registered in spruce forests; in those of the middle taiga, macrofauna numbers are rather stable, a maximum being recorded in both green moss and herb forest types. In the middle taiga, the number of invertebrates in the sphagnum type of spruce forests are very similar to those in spruce green moss forests. The density of macrofauna of green moss, hair cap moss and sphagnum types in the northern taiga spruce increases at the expense of Coccidae, Diptera, Cantharidae and Elateridae. The same tendency is also characteristic for the soil macrofauna of pine forests in the northern taiga.
KEY WORDS: taiga, pine and spruce forests, soil macrofauna, taxonomic composition, density, Komi Republic.