Ecology and diversity of urban pine forest soil invertebrates in Rīga, Latvia

Rīgas pilsētā septiņos priežu vai priežu-jaukto mežu parauglaukumos veikts augsnes bezmugurkaulnieku bioloģiskās daudzveidības pētījums. Kopumā ievākti 98 augsnes paraugi, kuros konstatēti 40 426 īpatņi, no kuriem 25 237 noteikti līdz sugai, bet pārējie - līdz kārtas vai dzimtas līmenim. Pētījumā apskatīta dažādu augsnes bezmugurkaulnieku sabiedrības raksturojošo lielumu, kā piemēram, īpatņu skaita, sugu skaita, sabiedrību līdzību u.c. rādītāju saistība ar Rīgas pilsētas urbāno mežu biotopiem. A study on ecology and diversity of soil invertebrates of urban pine and mixed pine forests was carried out in seven different sampling plots in Rīga during 2014. Ninety eight soil samples were processed and in total, 40 426 specimens were extracted (of them, 25 237 specimens were identified to species level and 15 189 to order level). Indices (abundance, community similarity etc.) characterising faunal diversity and species communities of Rīga city soil fauna were estimated. The most numerous soil invertebrate groups were Collembola, Oribatida and Mesostigmata, accounting for 95% of all collected animals. There was rather high diversity of soil invertebrates in the disturbed urban forest habitats, but undisturbed soils harbour a greater species richness of mite fauna than disturbed soils.