Collembola in grassland – included in the new project SoilEffects

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Summary

Little is known about Collembola in arable soil, at least in Norway. Recently, a study including this group has been initiated in a Norwegian field experiment Soileffects).
Collembola (springtails) are a group of small animals (1-3 mm) living in vegetation,litter and in the pores and caves in the soil to a depth of ca 15 cm. They are important decomposers of dead plant material, eating fungi, algae and
microorganisms in soil and on organic debris. Their grazing and decomposing activity contribute significantly to the nutrient circulation in the soil. The name springtail refers to a furca on their back, usually folded in under the body, but released in need of a rapid escape. In one jump, Collembola can jump more than 50 times their own body length. In Norway 334 species are known; in the world more than 6000. Two main groups are found: Entomobryomorpha; species with a clearly elongated segmented body and Symphyleona; species with a more or less globular body with fused segments, reminding of small “rabbits”. Whereas species living in the vegetation and in the upper soil litter are often pigmented, have long antennas, large furca and visible eyes, soil-living species are smaller (< 0.5 mm),and have shorter extremities and lack eyes or have small eyespot. They are often white or grey in color. The general distribution of species in Norway is well studied
by Arne Fjellberg. European papers about Collembola in agricultural soil are available, but not too much is known about this group of animals in arable soil.

Available Versions of this Item

• Collembola in grassland – included in the new project SoilEffects. (deposited 15 Mar 2013 15:00)
  • Collembola in grassland – included in the new project SoilEffects. (deposited 01 Mar 2017 08:37) [Currently Displayed]