Modern status of diversity of soil mesofauna communities in meadow-steppe areas of Northern Podillia

Abstract

Meadow-steppe vegetation was much more abundant in the past and covered large areas. However, nowadays, only small refugia of such vegetation remain due to the intensification of agriculture and significant anthropogenic transformations. These refugia, found on the slopes of hills and gullies, are of high scientific value with regard to the conservation of soil invertebrates’ microhabitats. This study is the first one conducted with the purpose to investigate invertebrate mesofauna diversity in meadow-steppe areas of Northern Podillia. Soil invertebrates that belong to 40 families from six classes of three phyla are the object of our research. They are an essential component of terrestrial ecosystems due to their regulative role in the topsoil. Soil invertebrates are functionally divided into different groups, but our special attention was given to “ecosystem engineers”, 13 species of Formicidae in particular, which are the organisms that significantly influence the soil by their activity. In addition, ants selectively affect the distribution of both autotrophs and heterotrophs. Formicidae alter or create micro-habitats and regulate the ability of other species to use the resources. The study presents structural and functional organization of soil invertebrate communities as well as indicators of their taxonomic diversity and dynamic density. The material was collected during 2018 field season in two relic meadow-steppe areas of the Holohoro-Voroniatsky hills of Podillia (Makitra and Bila Mts.) and analyzed according to the standard methods. In the structural and functional organization of invertebrate communities (trophic groups), phytophages prevail by their diversity (39 taxa), and zoophages predominate by dynamic density (up to 70 % of numbers of collected material). Formicidae are the eudominant part among the latter. High taxonomic diversity (93 invertebrate taxa: 62 species, 11 genera, and 20 fami­lies) as well as dynamic density and dominance structure of ground litter fauna communities in meadow-steppe areas of Northern Podillia indicate their significant role in the functioning of particular ecosystems (e.g., such steppe species as Blaps halophila Fischer von Waldheim, 1822, Myrmica deplanata Emery, 1921, Tapinoma erraticum (Latreille, 1798, etc.).

Keywords

• meadow-steppe vegetation
• mesofauna
• soil invertebrates
• “ecosystem engineers”
• biodiversity
• northern podillia