RTG 2300 - Soil microarthropods (Collembola, Insecta) in current and future forest stands of Central Europe

Collembola in soil play vital roles in ecosystem functioning. To understand the effects of forest management effects on soil Collembola, we sampled Collembola from five forest types replicated at eight sites. Animals were sampled by using a soil corer (ø 5 cm) between November 2017 and January 2018. One soil core was taken in each of the 40 forest stands with the samples taken between trees of the same (pure stands) or different species (mixed stands). Each site comprised three pure stands of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco.) as well as two beech–conifer mixtures (European beech/Douglas fir and European beech/Norway spruce). Samples were separated into litter and 0–5 and 5–10 cm soil depth. Springtails were extracted using high-gradient heat extraction. Collembola were collected in 50 % diethylene glycol and then transferred into 70 % ethanol. Springtails were identified using the keys of Gisin (1960), Fjellberg (1998, 2007) and Hopkin (2007). Numbers of Collembola in the three sample depths were summed up. The data record their abundance and community structure in temperate forests of Central Europe.