Characteristics of the Microarthropod Communities in Postagrogenic and Tundra Soils of the European Northeast of Russia

Abstract

Microarthropod communities (Oribatida, Mesostigmata, and Collembolans) in postagrogenic and tundra soils of the European Northeast of Russia have been characterized. In the postagrogenic soils, developed in places of former cultivation of perennial and annual crops, Collembolans predominate among microarthropods, while Oribatid mites predominate in the tundra soils. The population density of Mesostigmata has not been subjected to significant changes. In the studied sites, 58 species of Collembolans have been identified, including 33 species in postagrogenic soils and 46 species in tundra soils. A comparison of the species composition of springtails attested to significant differences in the structure of the complexes of dominant species, though no strongly specialized fauna has been found in the postagrogenic soils. No definite relationships between particular soil properties and population densities of different groups of microarthropods have been found, though these groups are definitely differentiated depending on genetic types of studied soils.