Differences in composition and vertical distribution of Collembola from canopies of three Australian rainforests

Authors

  • Penelope Greenslade Environmental Management, School of Applied and Biomedical Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Federation University Australia, Ballarat, Victoria 3353, Australia; Department of Biology, Australian National University, GPO Box, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia
  • Sutrisno Florentine Formerly of the Department of Ecosystem Management, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, 2350, Australia
  • Singarayer K. Florentine Environmental Management, School of Applied and Biomedical Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Federation University Australia, Ballarat, Victoria 3353, Australia

Keywords:

abundance, Entomobryidae, beta diversity, Paronellidae, specialists, species richness

Abstract

Invertebrates from three rainforest canopies (tropical TRF, subtropical STR and cool temperate CTR) were sampled by insecticidal knockdown in order to compare biodiversity of canopy faunas in Australia; lower and higher TRF and STR were sampled separately. Numerous Collembola were collected, mainly in the family Entomobryidae but relative family abundance of taxa differed between forest types. TRF was characterised by Dicyrtomidae, STR by Entomobryidae and CTR by Isotomidae and Neanuridae. Also morphospecies abundances differed between forest types. The high canopy of TRF was dominated by Lepidocyrtoides sp. 3 while the low canopy was dominated by Lepidocyrtoides sp. 6. SRF had a high proportion (80 % of individuals) of a single species, the canopy specialist, Epimetrura rostrata, in both high and low canopies. In CTR, the dominant species was Entomobrya sp. cf. varia. Significant differences were found in either or both abundance and species composition of Collembola between trees within each rainforest. A significant difference was found in species abundances between lower and upper canopies in TRF and STR but not in species composition, also between canopies, pitfall samples and soil/leaf litter faunas. High levels of apparent rarity were found in all the three rainforests, being most marked on STR. Only four species occurred in all three types of rainforest indicating that beta diversity (i.e. species turnover between the three sites) was high. Our results are the first to compare faunal composition between three rainforest types and have implications for management of forests under a climate change scenario.

 

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2016-12-01

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Differences in composition and vertical distribution of Collembola from canopies of three Australian rainforests. (2016). Soil Organisms, 88(3), 175–192. https://soil-organisms.org/index.php/SO/article/view/90