Taxonomic diversity and abundance of enchytraeids (Annelida, Clitellata, Enchytraeida) in the Northern Palaearctic. 2. European Russia

The diversity and abundance of small soil oligochaetes – enchytraeids, were studied in the terrestrial ecosystems of various biomes within European Russia, part of the Northern Palaearctic. Soil samples were collected in the Russian part of the East European Plain, Caucasus region, Novaya Zemlya Archipelago and Franz Josef Land. A total of 204 georeferenced sites were investigated, spanning 5 biomes classified by WWF (Olson et al., 2001): tundra, boreal forest, temperate broadleaf and mixed forest, temperate grassland, savanna and shrubland, and desert and xeric shrubland. This effort resulted in the collection of 73 species belonging to 17 genera of enchytraeids.