1,721,034 research outputs found
Mesofauna - Protura. Diplura. Pseudoscorpiones (Chapter II, Diversity of Soil Organisms)
No full textThe Ecotoxicity Approach as a Tool for Assessing Vermiremediation Effectiveness in Polychlorobiphenyls, Polychlorodibenzo-p-Dioxins and Furans Contaminated Soils
Full text linkChemical analyses are inadequate for assessing soil biological quality. Instead, the soil living community can be used both for monitoring and restoring soil health. The aim of this research was to verify vermiremediation efficiency in PCDD/F and PCB contaminated soils from Brescia-Caffaro (Italy), using an ecotoxicity approach. To gauge whether Caffaro soil could sustain a living community, a characterization of the arthropod community was conducted. Earthworms’ suitability for soil bioremediation was assessed applying ecotoxicity tests. Five treatments were set up: 1) contaminated soil; 2) contaminated soil + Eisenia fetida; 3) contaminated soil + Lepidium sativum; 4) contaminated soil + E. fetida + L. sativum, 5) uncontaminated soil + E. fetida. The ecotoxicity tests were: L. sativum germination index and root elongation inhibition, and Folsomia candida survival and reproduction, applied on soil and elutriate on: starter soil (T0), after 56 and 112 days (T56 and T112), the last after water percolation. Soil arthropod community was dominated by Hypogastruridae, Oribatida and, to a lesser degree, Formicidae and Coleoptera larvae. Ecotoxicity tests showed that F. candida reproduction and L. sativum root elongation were more adversely affected by pollutants than survival and germination. The higher soil ecotoxicity at T112 than at T56, suggested higher contaminant bioavailability after water addition. F. candida showed more variability between soil and elutriate than L. sativum. Both bioassays suggested earthworm treatment as the most promising. The importance of selecting different organisms in soil ecotoxicity monitoring, and the role of elutriate like a solid phase complement, was highlighted
Soil health and arthropods: From complex system to worthwhile investigation
Full text linkThe dramatic increase in soil degradation in the last few decades has led to the need to identify methods to define not only soil quality but also, in a holistic approach, soil health. In the past twenty years, indices based on living communities have been proposed alongside the already proven physical-chemical methods. Among them, some soil invertebrates have been included in monitoring programs as bioindicators of soil quality. Being an important portion of soil fauna, soil arthropods are involved in many soil processes such as organic matter decomposition and translocation, nutrient cycling, microflora activity regulation and bioturbation. Many studies have reported the use of soil arthropods to define soil quality; among taxa, some have been explored more in depth, typically Acari and Collembola, while generally less abundant groups, such as Palpigradi or Embioptera, have not been investigated much. This paper aims to evaluate and compare the use of di_erent soil microarthropod taxa in soil degradation/quality studies to highlight which groups are the most reported for soil monitoring and which are the most sensitive to soil degradation. We have decided not to include the two most present and abundant taxa, Acari and Collembola, in this paper in consideration of the vast amount of existing literature and focus the discussion on the other microarthropod groups. We reported some studies for each taxon highlighting the use of the group as soil quality indicator. A brief section reporting some indices based on soil microarthropods is proposed at the end of this specific discussion. This paper can be considered as a reference point in the use of soil arthropods to estimate soil quality and health
Tuxenidia lorenzoi (Protura: Acerentomidae), a new species from Italy and updates on the distribution of genus Tuxenidia
No full textTuxenidia lorenzoisp. nov. from the Eastern Italian Alps is described. The new species, like T. balcanica Nosek and Cvijović, 1969 has abdominal appendages II and III with only one seta, and it shares with T. hermonensis Szeptycki and Broza, 2004 the absence of posterior setae on urosternite VIII. Tuxenidia lorenzoisp. nov. differs from T. balcanica in the chaetotaxy of tergites I to V, VIII and XI, and of sternites II–III and VIII. In the new species, sensillum a is much shorter and b is longer than in T. balcanica. Tuxenidia lorenzoisp. nov. differs from T. hermonensis in the chaetotaxy of the metanotum, tergite I and sternite I. Some differences in the porotaxy of the mesonotum, metasternum, and sternites V–VII can also be observed. In addition, the new species has shorter sensilla a and b compared to T. hermonensis. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:87C97B5F-04F8-4019-B473-19F52BAF32EA
Agriculture Management and Soil Fauna Monitoring: The Case of Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy)
Full text linksoil quality. Here we analyzed soil arthropods community in several agricultural managements (arable land, grassland, vineyard and orchard) located in the Emilia-Romagna region (Italy), whose land was especially exploited for intensive agriculture, in order to state soil health and soil quality, in relation to crop types and management. The computation of the biological soil quality index QBS-ar revealed lower values in arable lands, easily due to management practices applied, in particular ploughing. On the other hand, the QBS-ar values associated to orchards and vineyards were higher: the grassy cover on soil and the reduced farming practices support soil microarthropod communities. Meadows were generally characterized by high index values, related to their age. The application of QBS-ar index as a tool to identify soil quality and, thus, soil functionality, was then confirmed. Starting with this type of approach, further analyses could be crucial to highlight differen
Evolution of Forest Humipedon Following a Severe Windstorm in the Italian Alps: A Focus on Organic Horizon Dynamics
No full textThis study investigates the effects of the 2018 Vaia windstorm on the evolution of humus profiles in forest soils of the north-eastern Italian Alps five years after the disturbance. The humipedon in five soil conditions was compared: intact forest (IF) and permanent meadow (M) for undisturbed soils, and soil under herbaceous cover (G), under dead wood (W), and bare soil (B) for windthrow-affected areas. No difference in pH and soil organic matter content (SOM) emerged within the same soil horizon between IF and windthrow-affected soils. When compared to IF, however, in G and B, a thinning of all O horizons (OL, OF, and OH) was detected, resulting in SOM loss and an increase in pH in the top 15 cm of the humipedon, conditions approaching the values found in M. Amphi was the most frequently occurring humus system in IF, with a shift towards a Mull system observed in all windthrow-affected soils—a shift more marked in G and B, approaching M conditions, but less marked in W, where the O horizon remained thicker. This study underscores the importance of considering soil heterogeneity and humus dynamics when assessing forest recovery and resilience after a severe disturbance
HUMIPEDON DYNAMICS IN ALPINE SOILS AFTER A SEVERE WINDSTORM
No full textIn October 2018, “Vaia” storm hit the Italian Alps, causing major damage to forests. The resulting changes in microclimate and soil structure are expected to shape the structure of soil communities and the dynamics of humus formation and of soil organic matter (SOM) accumulation.
In Val Di Fassa (Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy), 12 sites were identified, uniform in altitude and plant composition, half of which was hit by the storm. Soil samples of 3 conditions were taken: intact forest (IF); under grass in windthrow areas (G); under decaying wood in windthrow areas (W). For each sample, Humus system was identified, soil arthropod community were analysed, and SOM stored in organic (O) and organo- mineral (A) soil horizon was quantified.
Regarding Humus, the majority of IF samples express Amphi system (86%). This percentage drops to 50% in windthrow areas, with small differences between G and W, where the other 50% is represented majorly by Mull system. SOM quantification shows a similar pattern, with IF containing a greater quantity of SOM compared with G and W. Considering also soil microarthropods communities’ parameters (abundances, number of taxa, Shannon index, QBS-ar index), FAMD Analysis shows that the IF category is the only cluster that deviates from the others and that there’s no clear differentiation between G and W. Only the structure of the community in W was different from the other categories.
In conclusion, in studied forest sites, the passage of Vaia storm produced a shift in the functionality of the humipedon, from a system characterized by a medium speed of SOM turnover (Amphi) to one with a faster turnover of SOM (Mull). The differences are clear between intact forest soils and windthrow soils, but not between conditions in windthrow soils. The small differences observed between G and W suggest that different management of windthrow areas cannot influence humipedon dynamics in these few years after the disturbance. Longer monitoring is needed to help address this question
Keywords: Alpine Humus,Soil microarthropods,Windthrow,SOM dynamic
Below-ground biodiversity in agricultural systems: The role of crop-specific management in shaping soil arthropod communities
No full textSoil arthropod communities play a crucial role in ecosystem functioning, yet their response to agricultural land use and management practices remains poorly understood. This study aims to assess (i) soil biological quality, (ii) arthropod biodiversity, and (iii) community structure across different agricultural systems, evaluating the effects of soil management strategies (organic, integrated, conservative). A total of 414 sampling areas were investigated (during spring and, where the same crop was maintained, autumn, in the years 2019 and 2022) across arable land, vineyards, orchards, and grasslands, with soil properties characterization (texture, humidity, bulk density) and soil arthropods extracted and identified to the order or class level. The QBS-ar and QBS-c indices, Shannon diversity (H’), and Pielou's Evenness (J) were used to evaluate soil biological quality and community structure. Results indicate that agricultural management significantly influences soil biological quality and arthropod abundance. Organic management improved biodiversity and QBS-ar in alfalfa and cereals but not in leguminous crops. Vineyards exhibited higher arthropod densities than arable land, where soil biological quality was most impacted. Seasonal variation influenced community structure, but not diversity indices. Specific arthropod taxa correlated with distinct land uses, with Pseudoscorpionidae, Isopoda, and Protura associated with vineyards, while Myriapoda, Diplura, and Hymenoptera thrived in organically managed alfalfa. These findings highlight the role of agricultural management in shaping soil arthropod communities and emphasize the need for crop-specific management approaches to enhance soil biodiversity and ecosystem services
New data on Protura (Arthropoda: Hexapoda) from Campania (Southern Italy)
No full textData on 28 proturans collected in the Southern Shore of Mefite Lake (Ansanto Valley, Avellino Province) are shown. Only three species were already known in the Campania Region: Acerentulus confinis, Gracilentulus gracilis and Eosentomon transitorium. In the material examined here three species more have been recorded: Acerentulus traegardhi, Acerentomon microrhinus and Eosentomon armatum. In addition, one unidentified specimen belonging to genus Proturentomon was found
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