Soil-litter macrofauna in the mixed forest and midfield shelterbelts of different age [Turew area, West Poland]

The paper deals with the composition, density and biomass of soil-litter macrofauna in four midfield shelterbelts of different age and, comparatively, in the neighbouring mixed forest. The increase was observed along with the shelterbelt ageing of: 1) numbers of all macrofauna and particularly of some taxa (Symphyla, Chilopoda, coleopteran larvae and imagines and some dipteran larvae), 2) biomass of all macrofauna, of soil fauna (Group I) and of coleopteran larvae, 3) share of zoophages in all macrofauna and in dipteran larvae, 4) share of phytophages in coleopteran larvae communities, 5) average individual biomass, 6) taxonomic richness and the biodiversity (H’), 7) similarity of composition and domination structure of all macrofauna and of dipteran larvae to those in forest communities. The decrease of density of dipteran larvae, particularly of Chironomidae and Sciaridae and the share of saprophages in all macrofauna and in dipteran larvae was also observed. Successional stages of more numerous invertebrate taxa in newly established woodlots are described. Dipteran larvae were the pioneers in colonising newly established shelterbelts, particularly larvae from two families: Chironomidae and Sciaridae. Their combined contribution to the total density of dipteran larvae was 92%.