Journal Article

Globally invariant metabolism but density-diversity mismatch in springtails

Visva Bharati University, Bengal, India, Alexandre, Douglas, Department of Sustainable Crop Production (DI.PRO.VE.S.), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Zoology, The University of Michigan Research Museums Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108-2228, USA, Tallinn University of Technology, Tartu College, Yin, Rui, Claudia S. Jorge, Bruna, Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Palacios-Vargas, José, Ningbo University (NBU), Negri, Ilaria, Sayer, Emma, Department of Sciences, CEPA Camargo, Astillero, Spain, Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden, Department of Soil Science, Centre for Agriculture and Veterinary Science, Santa Catarina State University (UDUESC Lages), Lages, SC, Brazil (UDUESC), University of Pretoria [South Africa], Klauberg-Filho, Osmar, Department of Botany and Zoology, Biosciences Center, Federal University of Rio Grande d

2023

Overview

Soil life supports the functioning and biodiversity of terrestrial ecosystems. Springtails (Collembola) are among the most abundant soil arthropods regulating soil fertility and flow of energy through above- and belowground food webs. However, the global distribution of springtail diversity and density, and how these relate to energy fluxes remains unknown. Here, using a global dataset representing 2470 sites, we estimate the total soil springtail biomass at 27.5 megatons carbon, which is threefold higher than wild terrestrial vertebrates, and record peak densities up to 2 million individuals per square meter in the tundra. Despite a 20-fold biomass difference between the tundra and the tropics, springtail energy use (community metabolism) remains similar across the latitudinal gradient, owing to the changes in temperature with latitude. Neither springtail density nor community metabolism is predicted by local species richness, which is high in the tropics, but comparably high in some temperate forests and even tundra. Changes in springtail activity may emerge from latitudinal gradients in temperature, predation and resource limitation in soil communities. Contrasting relationships of biomass, diversity and activity of springtail communities with temperature suggest that climate warming will alter fundamental soil biodiversity metrics in different directions, potentially restructuring terrestrial food webs and affecting soil functioning.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group,HAL CCSD,Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Portfolio
• Subject: 631/158/670 / 631/158/851 / Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences / Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries / Andra lantbruksrelaterade vetenskaper / Animals / Arthropoda / Arthropods / Biodiversity / Biological Sciences / Biologiska vetenskaper / Biomass / Climate change / Collembola / Density / Ecology / Ecosystem / Ecosystems / Ekologi / Energy consumption / Energy metabolism / Environmental Sciences / Environmental Sciences and Nature Conservation / Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use / Food chains / Food webs / Global warming / Humanities and Social Sciences / Humans / Jordbruk, skogsbruk och fiske / Lantbruksvetenskap och veterinärmedicin / Life Sciences / Markvetenskap / Metabolism / Miljö- och naturvårdsvetenskap / multidisciplinary / Natural Sciences / Naturvetenskap / Other Agricultural Sciences / Predation / Science / Science (multidisciplinary) / Soil / Soil fertility / Soil Science / Soil temperature / Soils / Species richness / Taiga & tundra / Temperate forests / Temperature gradients / Terrestrial ecosystems / Tropical environments / Tundra / Vertebrates