Iris Biondi

• Biodiversity Journal, 8 (2): 697-718

  Iris Biondi, Marzio Zapparoli, Ulderico Neri & Francesco Antonio Biondi
  Relationships between macroarthropods assemblages and soil characteristics: data from forest habitats of Central Italy

  ABSTRACT
  With this work we wanted to study qualitatively and quantitatively epigeal soil fauna in some forest areas in the Regional Natural Reserve of Monte Rufeno, Lazio (Italy). In addition to the meso- and macroarthropods (quality and quantity) we also examined some chemical para- meters of the soil (pH, organic carbon, nitrogen, exchangeable cations, cation exchange capacity, limestone) and physical ones (particle size, apparent density), in order to demonstrate possible relationships between the texture of the soil fauna and the soil itself. The sampled stations consist of mixed oak and were chosen to represent the diversity of these forest formations in the area concerned. The results are structured in a scheme that identifies the soils groups, an analysis of the fauna, and fauna-soil correlations. By the different approaches of statistical analysis conducted to assess the interlinkages between soil characteristics and density of activities of centipedes and of all arthropods, the values of the number of species detected confirm those found in other forest areas of central Italy. As regards the correlations between soil characteristics and density of activity of the Arthropods, it was observed that the latter is positively correlated with the amount of organic substance and, secondarily, with the quantity of clay + silt present in the first layers of the profiles. It was also deepened the study of one taxonomic group (Chilopoda) and, with respect to the results, the number of species that constitutes the taxocenose within the Reserve (19 species), confirmed results found in other forest areas of central Italy. The small skeleton and surface horizon of the soil, do not seem to favor the presence of centipedes.

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