Data from: Diversity and functionality of soil fauna

Abstract

The goal of this study was to assess the recovery of soil micro-arthropods in different periods, in heathlands.

Study area and sampling strategy All studied plots were located in the Veluwe area, a large nature area central in the Netherlands, consisting of extended forests and heathlands. The area has a humid Atlantic climate with an average temperature of 3.1 °C in January and 17.9 °C in July and an annual precipitation of 950 mm more or less spread evenly over the year (data from a 30-year period). For our research we needed detailed management information, which was obtained from two nature management organizations: National Park De Hoge Veluwe (52°05’N, 5°50’E) and the municipality of Nunspeet (52°23’N, 5°47’E). Both organizations keep detailed records on heathland management making it possible to select plots that have been sod-cut only once in a given year, without additional management ever since. At the Hoge Veluwe area we selected 5 plots (uncut and cut 40, 7and 2 years before sampling) and at the Nunspeet area we selected 10 plots (uncut and cut 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, 25, 18, 16, 12 years before sampling. Soil type on all plots is a spodic dystrudept (Soil Survey Staff, 1999), developed on the gentle slope of push moraine ridges with some cover sand on top. The parent material is coarse sandy with 13-18% of loam in the deeper soil layers. Topsoil has been extensively leached, creating a more spodic tophorizon, resembling the one of an orthod. Humus form is originally moderlike, but contains also larger proportions of amorphous organic compounds leaching into the B-horizon as seen in orthods. Organic matter in the topsoil (0-10 cm.) is 5.5 ± 2.5%, pH[NaCl] is 3.6 ± 0.7 on average over all plots.

Soil micro-arthropod and soil chemical sampling All plots were sampled on 8 March 2019, taking four cores per plot. Cores were 5 cm Ø and 5 cm deep mineral soil plus upper litter. Cores were taken in the middle of the plots, 1 m apart of each other. Cores were extracted on a Tullgren funnel for 7 days. During that period temperature was increased from 35 to 45 °C. Ethanol 70% was used as preservative and micro-arthropods obtained were put into lactic acid 40% for clarification and identification (Siepel and van de Bund 1988). All micro-arthropods from the Tullgren funnel were identified at the species level using appropriate keys. Nomenclature and identification for the main groups is according to Weigmann (2006) for Oribatida, Karg (1993) for Gamasina and Karg (1989) for Uropodina. The soil core samples were taken to measure environmental variables after extraction of the soil micro-arthropods. These air-dried soil samples were sieved to 1 mm. Soil chemistry variables used in our analysis included soil organic matter, soil total nitrogen, moisture, pH [NaCl], available phosphorus (P-Olsen). The pH of the solution was measured immediately using a combined pH electrode after mixing fresh soil with NaCl solution. The soil phosphorus (P-Olsen) was determined using extraction with sodium bicarbonate (Olsen et al., 1954).

We have two data files: sod cutting environment factor.csv sod cutting microarthropods.csv

Explanation of the variables in the datasets: Area: Nunspeet, Hoge Veluwe year: sod cutting happened in which year Feeding: B, FB, FG, HG, OHF, H, HB, HG，O, P

B: browsers FB：Fungivorous browsers FG：Fungivorous grazers HG：Herbofungivorous grazers OHF: Opportunistic Herbofungivorous H: herbofungivores HB: Herbivorous browsers HG: Herbivorous grazers O: Omnivores P: Predators

pH: The pH of the solution was measured immediately using a combined pH electrode after mixing fresh soil with NaCl solution. moisture %: percentage moisture of the soil sample org matter %: percentage organic matter of the soil sample N (mg/g): total nitrogen concentration of the soil sample C (mg/g): total carbon concentration of the soil sample mol P per kgram dry soil: The soil phosphorus (P-Olsen) was determined using extraction with sodium bicarbonate (Olsen et al., 1954). C/N ratio: ratio of total carbon to total nitrogen in the soil sample