[Factors controlling soil macrofauna spatial pattern in a pure beech and a mixed beech-hornbeam forest].
The soil macrofauna of a pure beech (PS) and a mixed beech-hornbeam (MS) stand was recorded using a sample design spatially explicit at stand level. Humic epipedon morphological and chemical properties, relative irradiance, soil bulk density, and the specific composition of the litter in MS were also investigated. The taxonomic diversity is nearly similar on both sites, but the average by sample is greater under PS. The main factors controlling soil macrofauna spatial variability were: litter quality under MS and humus form activity under PS. These results suggest a distal control (i.e. external to humic epipedon) of macrofauna spatial variability when the litter quality is variable and a proximal control (i.e. internal to humic epipedon) when it is uniform at the spatial scale of the study.
Aubert
Michaël
M
Laboratoire d'écologie, UPRES-EA 1293, groupe Ecodiv, université de Rouen, 76821 Mont-Saint-Aignan cedex, France. Michael.Aubert@univ-rouen.fr
Hedde
Mickaël
M
Decaëns
Thibaud
T
Margerie
Pierre
P
Alard
Didier
D
Bureau
Fabrice
F
D000818:Animals; D017753:Ecosystem; D029964:Fagus / Q000254:growth & development*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D011156:Population Density; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012987:Soil; D014197:Trees
D012987:Soil