Ecological space of the sod-lithogenic soils on the red-brown clays animal community

Abstract

The ecological niche is the keystone conception of theoretical ecology. But for its use methodical difficulties appears which can be solved with the help of the number of statistical techniques which includes OMI-analyses. This procedure has given the possibility of visualization of the ecological niche of soil animal community of the sod-lithogenic soils on the red-brown clays. The phenomenon of differentiation of the ecological niche demands the explanation of structuring ecological space and detects of dominant factors which have influenced for the physiognomy of communities of soil animals. The important problem is also to evaluate the role of ecological specialization of animals, which expresses in the terms ecomorphical structure. The usage of RLQ-analyses has permitted to quantity estimate the influence of vegetation features and edaphic factors on the spatial distribution of soil mesofauna. The researching polygon is characterized both the presence of patch with optimal vital activity terms, and with unfavorable conditions. Mesopedobionts within researching polygon have been established as not being ecologically homogeneous. The functional groups A and B embrace in the majority of endogeic animals such as larvae of beetles. The ecologically diverse ecomorphic properties of these groups with high density of the animal community may be determined by the axis number 1. These groups concentrate within 3–4 meters diameter patches with most favorable conditions for vital activity. Such patches are marginal for this polygon. The functional group C is presented by gerpetobiont animals which are able to migrate and relatively tolerant to edaphic factors. That is why centroid of given group is most closely located to the typical condition of this polygon. Considered indicators of soil as environment of living organisms permit to estimate the community’s ecological niche. The quantity characteristics of species ecological niches within researching polygon such as specialization and marginality have been estimated. At first for the characteristics of soil animals’ ecological niches have been used phytoindicator scales and ecomorphical analyses of the vegetations structure and also physiognomy types of it. The selection of functional groups of soil animals and applied for them ecomorphical characteristics are present high information values and conformity of indicator scales for the description of real current types of conditions of ecosystems.