The body-size distribution of arboreal collembolans in relation to the vertical structure of a Japanese cedar plantation |
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| Institution: | 1. Field Science Center, Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan;2. Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan;1. CLUNL/FCSH/Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal;2. Language and Brain Lab, School of Education and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel;1. Beijing Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Organic Farming, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China;2. School of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney, Richmond 2753, NSW, Australia;3. Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Desertification Combating, Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China;4. Department of Environmental Hygiene, School of Public Health, Guiyang Medical University, Guiyang 550004, China;5. Institute of Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China;1. Physics-Institute, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstr. 190, CH-8057, Switzerland;2. Ruby Valley Research Institute, Highway Contract 60, Box 601, Ruby Valley, NV 89833, USA |
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| Abstract: | Collembolans are among the most abundant microarthropods in the aboveground parts of forest ecosystems, but little is known about their life-history traits compared with those of the soil-dwelling collembolans. The life-history traits of arboreal collembolans, as well as their abundances, are expected to be influenced by the vertical structure of a forest. We analyzed the body-size distributions of dominant arboreal species in relation to the vertical structure of the forest. The small individuals of the three arboreal species that inhabit both the canopy and soil litter (Xenylla brevispina, Tomocerus cuspidatus, and Sphyrotheca multifasciata) appeared continuously from spring to autumn in the soil litter, whereas those in the canopy litter were found during a particular period, only in July. These individuals tended to be larger in the canopy litter than in the soil litter, and in particular, T. cuspidatus grew to become significantly larger in the canopy. The mean body size of the most abundant migrating species (X. brevispina) increased gradually from the soil to the upper canopy, whereas strict arboreal species (Entomobrya sp.) had no significant trend in the relationship between body size and the height above ground level. We concluded that the life-history traits of arboreal collembolans were influenced by the vertical structure of the forest. |
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| Keywords: | Forest canopy Life-history trait Springtails Suspended litter Vertical structure |
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