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The Baltimore Ecosystem Study and Soil Research Part 2

The Baltimore Ecosystem Study and Soil Research Part 2. Katalin Szlávecz The Johns Hopkins University. Outline. Urban ecosystems – The Baltimore Ecosystem Study Biodiversity and importance of soil fauna Urban soil biodiversity Exotic / invasive soil invertebrates. Soil is More than Dirt.

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The Baltimore Ecosystem Study and Soil Research Part 2

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  1. The Baltimore Ecosystem Study and Soil ResearchPart 2 Katalin Szlávecz The Johns Hopkins University

  2. Outline • Urban ecosystems – The Baltimore Ecosystem Study • Biodiversity and importance of soil fauna • Urban soil biodiversity • Exotic / invasive soil invertebrates

  3. Soil is More than Dirt • Mechanical support • Habitat • Storage of organic matter • Element release (greenhouse gases) • Water storage Soils: The Final Frontier

  4. E. O. Wilson: In Search of Nature Soil: “The Poor Man’s Rainforest” • Biodiversity • Biomass • “..we need invertebrates but they don’t need us”

  5. Challenges • Diversity • Size, natural history • Species (taxonomical difficulties) • Soil organisms are cryptic • Spatial heterogeneity at many scales • Temporal fluctuations at many scales

  6. Dung beetles Earthworms Harvester ants Vertical Heterogeneity

  7. Horizontal Heterogeneity Amynthas (Asian) Lumbricids (European) Maps by E. Ellis and D. Cilento, Dept. of Geography, UMBC

  8. Classification by size All major terrestrial invertebrate groups are represented in the soil

  9. Mesofauna: 10m – 2 mm Mites (Acari) Springtails (Collembola) Potworms (Enchytraeidae)

  10. Macrofauna: Millipedes (Diplopoda)

  11. Beetles (Coleoptera) Scarab beetles Bess beetles Tiger beetles Ground beetles

  12. Androniscus dentiger Trichorhina tomentosa Pillbugs, Woodlice: Isopoda Oniscus asellus and Armadillidium vulgare

  13. Density of Soil Organisms

  14. Why Are Soil Animals Important? • Decomposers (influence nutrient release from organic matter) • Interact with soil microorganisms • Alter soil characteristics (pH, moisture, organic matter) • Prey for birds, amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates • Predatorscontrol prey populations

  15. Earthworm Abundance in Urban and Rural Forests Lumbricus terrestris

  16. GOOD? BAD? The Issue of Exotic Earthworm Invasion

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