Newsletter of the Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods)

Volume 20, No. 2, Fall 2001

 

 		 Project Update - Arthropod Fauna of Soils 2001

 

General information and editorial notes

News and Notes
Brief on label data standards published

Field trip to the Onefour grasslands

Summary of the Scientific Committee meeting

Survey office disruption

Second spider newsletter published

Canadian Biodiversity Network

Members of the Scientific Committee

 

Project Update: Arthropod Fauna of Soils 2001

The Quiz Page

Arctic Corner

Selected future conferences

Quips and Quotes

Requests for Material or Information

 

Valerie M. Behan-Pelletier

Biodiversity Section, ECORC, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, K.W. Neatby Bldg., 960 Carling Ave., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0C6

 

“We know more about the movement of celestial bodies than about the soil underfoot.”
Leonardo Da Vinci, circa 1500’s

 

Soils, wherever they are found, are recognized as habitats for much of the biosphere’s undescribed diversity; they make up an environment where, even in North America, only about 50% of species are described as adults (Behan-Pelletier and Bissett 1992). The Biological Survey has long recognized the importance of soil fauna as essential for maintaining the fertility of Canada’s soils. It regularly comments on relevant developments on soil arthropods, e.g., Behan-Pelletier (1995), although it does not have an active project because of the limited taxonomic resources in Canada. Also, the Survey strongly encourages inclusion of soil arthropods in its Projects, such as the Grassland Project and Insects of the Yukon (Danks and Downes 1997). The Survey first outlined the status and research needs for Canadian soil arthropods in a brief (Marshall et al. 1982), a document as relevant today as then. Subsequently, it helped sponsor a conference on faunal influences on soil structure (Spence 1986), and ensured contributions on soil arthropods in publications associated with the Survey, e.g., Ball and Danks (1993) and Finnamore and Marshall (1994). The following update is not intended to be exhaustive. Rather, it attempts to highlight some recent developments.

Gozmanyina majesta (Marshall and Reeves), an inhabitant of soil and litter in mixed deciduous-coniferous forests of northeastern North America.

Since the publication of “Life in the Soil” (Freckman 1994) there has been considerable focus on soil biodiversity in general in North America, and more specifically on documenting the role of soil biodiversity in ecosystem function. Various workshops from the SCOPE Committee on Soils and Sediments have deepened awareness of fundamental similarities in biodiversity between terrestrial soils and the sediments of freshwater and marine environments (Brussard et al. 1997, Wall Freckman et al. 1997, Wall 1999). SCOPE workshops have addressed questions such as the impact of soil biodiversity on plant productivity (SCOPE 2001), have recognized that soils are critical transition zones (Bardgett et al. 2001), and have addressed possible effects of global change on soil biota (Young et al. 1998). Concurrent with SCOPE initiatives on soil biodiversity, the EMAN program of Environment Canada (Finnamore et al. 1998) and various Canadian and international biodiversity assessments, such as the SAGE Grassland Project (Finnamore 1996), and the ALAS Project in Costa Rica ( have helped to formalize sampling methodologies for this biodiversity. In addition, this year FAO has developed a soil biodiversity internet portal (http://www.fao.org/landandwater/agll/soilbiod/biodport.htm) with the overall aim of promoting “a more ecological approach in agricultural systems and the integrated management of land resources with a view to enhancing agricultural productivity and agro-ecosystem sustainability”.

In parallel with this surge in interest in soil biodiversity in North America, forest canopies, with their suspended soil habitats, have gained recognition as one of the last biotic frontiers (Winchester 1997; International Canopy Network (ICAN: http://192.211.16.13/individuals/nadkarnn/main/info.htm)). Canopies include a range of soil and litter microhabitats almost homologous to those on the forest floor. These microhabitats, collectively called ‘canopy organic matter’ host diverse assemblages of soil arthropods that can be distinct from and can rival in richness those on the forest floor (Behan-Pelletier and Walter 2000; Winchester 1997).

But have these and other initiatives increased taxonomic information AND awareness about soil biodiversity, especially for hyperdiverse taxa such as the arthropods? I think the answer is a qualified Yes. Granted, the “important deficiencies related to soil arthropods” outlined in Marshall et al. (1982) and reiterated by Behan-Pelletier (1993a) have not been addressed, but soil arthropod biodiversity is no longer ignored in meaningful ecosystem analyses.

Central to this change is that the taxonomic inadequacies are more widely appreciated, as a result of Kosztarab and Schaefer’s (1990) analysis of status and needs for North American insect and arachnid systematics, subsequent analyses of specific groups, e.g., Bennett (1999), and the Soil Biology Guide (Dindal 1990) which includes keys to most of the major microbial and invertebrate inhabitants of North American soils. We know that Acari, Diptera and Coleoptera comprise over 75% of the arthropod species richness in most North American soils, but that these groups have only about 15%, 68% and 87% of adults identifiable to species, respectively (Behan-Pelletier and Bissett 1992). Furthermore, the immature stages of only 5-10% of species are described, even though these stages are typically the most metabolically active and long-lived in the soil. The few taxonomic experts available are trying to address these inadequacies by developing standard keys, and by using the internet to make data more available. An excellent example is the Checklist of the Collembola (Janssens 2001), the Collembola Key2000 Project (Janssens 2001) and the list of Collembola literature). But the taxonomic impediment remains, and ultimately, taxonomic deficiencies can only be solved by taxonomic expertise. In the meantime these deficiencies are being addressed in a number of ways outlined below:

  • Focus on arthropod groups (or a subset thereof) for which there are comprehensive keys and/or expertise available. This is the approach advocated in biodiversity assessments, or environmental monitoring where resources are limited (Marshall et al. 1994; Danks and Winchester 2000). Of necessity this approach is limited to macroarthropods, especially Araneae, Diplopoda and families of Coleoptera and Diptera (Paquin and Coderre 1997a,b; Bennett 1999; Carcamo et al. 2000; Scudder 2000). As examples, ground beetles and spiders are among the focus groups of the EMEND Project (Ecosystem Management by Emulating Natural Disturbance) in Alberta forests (http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/emend/index.htm), and of studies of the INCO mine tailings, Sudbury (Shorthouse and Bagatto 1995). A limitation is that these groups are primarily litter dwellers, and are rarely found in quantity in many soil microhabitats.

  • Taxa are sorted to family, genus and to species or morphospecies and assigned an identifying number (e.g. Oppiidae: Oppia sp. 1). This approach is used in most studies assessing microarthropods (Acari and Collembola). It requires some taxonomic knowledge of the focus group, usually enhanced by participation in a concentrated course, e.g., The Ohio State University Summer Program in Acarology (http://www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/~acarolog/sum2k1.htm), or the participation of a competent systematist to sort the taxa. Granted this approach is limited, as it prevents extraction of information on species biology from the literature, and limits comparisons with other studies unless the specimens from the other study have been similarly treated by the same systematist. However, it is the approach used in a number of studies on soil arthropods, such as those of Newfoundland forests (Dwyer et al. 1997, 1998), INCO mine tailings (St. John et al. 2001), and ongoing studies on soil biodiversity in rangeland (J. Clapperton pers. comm.).

  • Taxa are sorted as above and in addition to specimen vouchers, digital vouchers are prepared for internet availability, usually linked to a biodiversity assessment database such as BIOTA (Colwell 1997). These images can in turn be compared with an online database of images and information. This approach is already used by the BIOTracker (http://biotrack.mq.edu.au/staf_f.htm) service in Australia, and digital vouchers of microarthropods (with specimen voucher backup) will form the main output for GLIDE (the Global Litter Invertebrate Decomposition Experiment: http://www.nrel.colostate.edu/projects/glide/), which includes sites in Canada, and is a core project of the International Biodiversity Observation Year (http://www.nrel.colostate.edu/IBOY/).

One or all of these approaches have been used in biodiversity and faunistic studies on soil arthropods in Canada, and have contributed qualitatively and quantitatively to our knowledge of this fauna. As an example, the diversity of studies on Canadian soil arthropods published since 1993 is illustrated for 2 groups, the Acari and Collembola, in Table 1.

 

Table 1. Recent knowledge on systematics, distribution and ecology of Acari and Collembola in Canada (based on additions to the literature since Behan-Pelletier 1993a).

COLLEMBOLA
TAXONOMY New species BC (Fjellberg 1992); Diagnoses for species from sugar maple (Therrien et al. 1999)
CHOROLOGY Sugar maple forest (Chagnon et al. 2000a); Douglas fir BC (Addison et al. 1998); Western hemlock BC (Fons & Klinka 1998); west coast forests (Battigelli et al. 1994); Balsam fir NF (Puvanendran et al. 1997)
ECOLOGY Environmental impact: Experimental liming (Chagnon et al. 2001), Agriculture (Neave & Fox 1998; Fox 1998; Fox et al. 1999; Tomlin et al. 1995); Phytopharmaceuticals (Cortet & Poinsot-Balaguer 2000); Earthworms (McLean 1998); Bacillus thuringiensis (Addison 1993; Addison & Holmes 1995); Insecticides (Addison 1996a); Harvesting (Addison 1996b)

Succession in tree stumps (Setäla et al. 1995)

Feeding habits (Klironomos et al. 1992)

Interactions with plants (Klironomos & Hart 2001)

Interactions in soil (Setäla et al. 1996; Kaneko et al. 1998; Chagnon et al. 2000b)

Interactions with mycorrhiza (Klironomos & Kendrick 1995; Klironomos & Ursic 1998; Klironomos & Moutoglis 1999)

Trophic abundance (Ferguson 2001)

ACARI
TAXONOMY Key to families and genera (Balogh & Balogh 1992; Niedbala 1992; Colloff 1993; Dindal 1990; Behan-Pelletier 1993b, 1994, 2000, Behan-Pelletier et al. 2001; Reeves & Behan-Pelletier 1998; Smiley 1992; Zacharda 1997)
CHOROLOGY Mixedwood Plains Ecozone (Smith et al. 1996); Montane Cordillera Ecozone (Smith et al. 1999); Peatlands (Behan-Pelletier & Bissett 1994); Yukon (Behan-Pelletier 1997); Conifer canopies, BC (Fagan & Winchester 1999; Winchester 1997; Behan-Pelletier & Winchester 1998; Winchester et al. 2000); Douglas fir BC (Addison et al. 1998); Western hemlock BC (Fons & Klinka 1998); west coast forests (Battigelli et al. 1994); British Columbia (Scudder 1994); Balsam fir NF (Dwyer et al. 1997, 1998)
ECOLOGY Environmental impact: Compression (Kevan et al. 1995); Agriculture (Neave & Fox 1998; Fox 1998; Fox et al. 1999; Tomlin et al. 1995); Phytopharmaceuticals (Cortet & Poinsot-Balaguer 2000); Earthworms (McLean 1998); Bacillus thuringiensis (Addison 1993); Insecticides (Addison 1996a); Harvesting (Addison 1996b)

Interactions in soil (Setäla et al. 1996; Maraun et al. 1998; Kaneko et al. 1998)

Interactions with mycorrhiza (Klironomos & Kendrick 1995)

Trophic abundance (Ferguson 2001)
 

References

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Addison, J.A. 1996a. Safety of tebufenozide, a new molt-inducing insecticide, for forest soil invertebrates. Ecotoxicol. Environ. Safety 33: 55-61.

Addison, J.A. 1996b. Harvesting and site preparation impacts on soil microarthropods. pp.186-189 In: C.R. Smith and G.W Crook (compilers), Advancing Boreal Mixedwood Management in Ontario- Proceedings. 17-18 October 1995, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. NRCan, CFS- Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

Addison, J.A. and S.B. Holmes. 1995. Effect of two commerical formulations of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki (Dipel 8L and Dipel 8AF) on the collembolan species Folsomia candida in a soil microcosm study. Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 55: 771-778.

Addison, J.A., V.G. Marshall, and J.A. Trofymow. 1998. Soil microarthropod abundance and species richness in successional Douglas-fir forests. Northwest Science 72 (Special Issue No. 2): 96-97.

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Chagnon, M., D. Paré, and C. Hébert. 2000b. Relationships between soil chemistry, microbial biomass and the collembolan fauna of southern Quebec sugar maple stands. EcoScience 7: 307-316.

Chagnon, M., D. Paré, C. Hébert, and C. Camiré. 2001. Effects of experimental liming on collembolan communities and soil microbial biomass in a southern Quebec sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) stand. Applied Soil Ecology 17: 81-90.

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Dwyer, E., D.J. Larson and I.D. Thompson. 1998. Oribatid mite communities of old balsam fir (Aibes balsamea (L.)) forests of western Newfoundland, Canada. Pedobiologia 42: 331-347.

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Klironomos, J.N. and M. Ursic. 1998. Density-dependent grazing on the extraradical hyphal network of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus, Glomus intraradices, by the collembolan, Folsomia candida. Biology and Fertility of Soils 26:250-253.

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Reeves, R.M. and V. Behan-Pelletier. 1998. The genus Carabodes (Acari: Oribatida: Carabodidae) of North America, with descriptions of new western species. Canadian Journal of Zoology 76: 1898-1921.

SCOPE, 2001. http://www.nrel.colostate.edu/soil/SCOPE/scope.html. SCOPE publications relevant to soil biodiversity: http://www.icsu-scope.org/projects/soilsed.htm.

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Setäla, H., V.G. Marshall, and J.A. Trofymow. 1996. Influence of body size of soil fauna on litter decomposition and 15N uptake by poplar in a pot trial. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 28: 1661-1675.

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St. John, M. G., V.M. Behan-Pelletier, G. Bagatto, E.E. Lindquist, J.D. Shorthouse, and I. M. Smith. 2001. Soil formation and mite colonization of rehabilitated mine tailings, Sudbury Canada. Poster presented at Soil Ecology Society Conference, Georgia, May 2001. http://res2.agr.ca/ecorc/staff/behan/poster01.pdf

Therrien, F., M. Chagnon, and C. Hébert. 1999. Biodiversity of Collembola in sugar maple (Aceraceae) forests. Canadian Entomologist 131: 613-628.

Tomlin, A.D., C.M. Tu, and J.J. Miller. 1995. Response of earthworms and soil biota to agricultural practices in corn, soybean and cereal rotation. Acta Zoologica Fennica. 196: 195-199.

Wall, D. (Ed.). 1999. BioScience, February 1999, Special Issue, with six articles written by participants of the 1997 AAAS symposium “Global Biodiversity: Is it in the Mud and Dirt” and the First International Workshop of the SSBEF Committee in Wageningen, Netherlands, 1997, addressing the status of biodiversity in soils and sediments and future directions.

Wall Freckman, D.H., T.H. Blackburn, L. Brussaard, P. Hutchings, M.A. Palmer, and P.R. Snelgrove. 1997. Linking biodiversity and ecosystem functioning of soils and sediments. Ambio 26: 556-562.

Winchester, N.N. 1997. Canopy arthropods of coastal Sitka spruce trees on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. In: Stork, N.E. Adis, J. and Didham, R.K. (eds.) Canopy Arthropods. Chapman & Hall, London, pp. 151-168.

Winchester, N.N., V.M. Behan-Pelletier, and R.A. Ring. 2000. Arboreal specificity, diversity and abundance of canopy-dwelling oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida). Pedobiologia. 43: 391-400.

Young, I.M., E. Blanchart, C. Chenu, M. Dangerfield, C. Fragoso, M. Grimaldo, J. Ingram, and L.J. Monrozie. 1998. The interaction of soil biota and soil structure under global change. Global Change Biology 4: 703-712.

Zacharda, M. 1997. New taxa of Rhagidiidae (Acari: Prostigmata) from North America. Part V. Genus Robustocheles Zacharda, with a key to world species of the genus. Journal of Natural History 31: 1075-1103.

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