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Biodiversity

Humus forms in terrestrial ecosystems: a framework to biodiversity

Profile image of Jean-François PongeJean-François Ponge

2003, Soil Biology and Biochemistry

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0038-0717(03)00149-4
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11 pages

Abstract

Humus forms are the seat of most biological transformations taking place in terrestrial ecosystems, being at the interface between plants, animals and microbes. The diversity of terrestrial humus forms (mor, moder and mull) can be attributed to the existence of different patterns (strategies) for the capture and use of resources by ecosystems, in ascending order of biodiversity and bioavailability. Arguments are found in the parallel development of humus forms and terrestrial ecosystems, in exclusion mechanisms between organisms living in different humus forms, and in palaeontological studies. The diversification of terrestrial life forms in the course of Earth history, concomitant with an improvement in resource availability due to the development of sedimentary layers at the surface of continents, may explain the successive appearance of more active humus forms enabling the coexistence of an increasing number of organisms. Contradictory reports about the relationships between biodiversity and stability of ecosystems can be explained by the existence of different belowground pathways making ecosystems more stable.

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About the author
Jean-François Ponge
Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Emeritus

Jean-François Ponge, professor emeritus at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris (Brunoy laboratory): research and teaching in ecology, more particularly in soil ecology (temperate and tropical environments). Personal webpage: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jean-Francois-Ponge

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Related papers

Terrestrial humus forms: ecological relevance and classification
Augusto Zanella, Jean-François Ponge

2010

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Humusica 1, article 5: Terrestrial humus systems and forms – Keys of classification of humus systems and forms
Paola Galvan, Augusto Zanella, Serenella Nardi, Raimo Kõlli, Jean-François Ponge

Applied Soil Ecology, 2018

This article is an as simple as possible key of classification of terrestrial (aerobic, not submerged) topsoils (organic and organic-mineral series of soil horizons). Based on the introduction exposed in Humusica 1, article 1, and using vocabulary and definitions listed in article 4, a classification is proposed for better understanding the biological functioning of the soil, partially disclosing the process of litter digestion. Five types of terrestrial topsoils, called terrestrial humus systems, are described and illustrated with the help of photographs. Within each humus system, 3–4 humus forms are also revealed, corresponding to similar series of soil horizons generated in a relatively homogeneous environment whose range of ecological factors is not so large to overstep and cause the genesis of another different humus system. The article ends with a figure that shows the relationship between Tangel and Amphi humus systems, and a dichotomous key of classification that one can easily print and bring in the field for practicing humus classification.

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Humusica 1, article 5: Terrestrial humus systems and forms — Keys of T classification of humus systems and forms
Augusto Zanella

Applied Soil Ecology, 2018

This article is an as simple as possible key of classification of terrestrial (aerobic, not submersed) topsoils (or- ganic and organic-mineral series of soil horizons). Based on the introduction exposed in Humusica 1, article 1, and using vocabulary and definitions listed in article 4, a classification is proposed for better understanding the biological functioning of the soil, partially disclosing the process of litter digestion. Five types of terrestrial topsoils, called terrestrial humus systems, are described and illustrated with the help of photographs. Within each humus system, 3–4 humus forms are also revealed, corresponding to similar series of soil horizons gen- erated in a relatively homogeneous environment whose range of ecological factors is not so large to overstep and cause the genesis of another different humus system. The article ends with a figure that shows the relationship between Tangel and Amphi humus systems, and a dichotomous key of classification that one can easily print and bring in the field for practicing humus classification.

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Humusica 2, article 13: Para humus systems and forms
Dylan Tatti, Vinicio Carraro, Augusto Zanella, Jean-François Ponge

Applied Soil Ecology, 2018

Planet Earth is covered by very common Terrestrial (not submersed), Histic (peats) and Aqueous (tidal) humipedons. Beside these typical topsoils there are other more discrete humipedons, generated by the interaction of mineral matter with microorganisms, fungi and small plants (algae, lichens and mosses). In some cases roots and their symbionts can be a driving force of litter biotransformation, in other cases a large amount of decaying wood accommodates particular organisms which interfere with and change the normal process of litter decomposition. Particular microorganisms inhabit submerged sediments or extreme environments and can generate specialised humipedons with grey-black or even astonishingly flashing colours. We describe all these common but still unknown humipedons, defining diagnostic horizons and proposing a first morpho-functional classification, which still has to be improved. At the end of the article, the hypothesis of evolving and interconnected Cosmo, Aero, Hydro, Humi, Co, Litho and Geopedons (related to the microbiota) is formulated as a speculative curiosity.

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Humusica 1, article 4: Terrestrial humus systems and forms – Specific terms and diagnostic horizons
Serenella Nardi, Jean-François Ponge

Applied Soil Ecology, 2018

Knowledge of a little number of specific terms is necessary to investigate and describe humipedons. This “new vocabulary” allows individuating and circumscribing particular diagnostic horizons, which are the fundamental bricks of the humipedon. Few “components” defined by specific terms characterize a specific “humipedon horizon”; few “humipedon horizons” compose a given “humus form” and some similar “humus forms” are grouped in a functional “humus system”. In this article, specific terms and humus horizons are listed and explained one by one. Field difficulties are illustrated and resolved. The aim of the article is to present in a manner as simple as possible how to distinguish in the field the soil structures allowing a morpho-functional classification of terrestrial (aerated, not submerged) humipedons.

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    Changes within collembolan communities in windthrown European montane spruce forests 2 years after disturbance by fire
    Blaze Riley

    Annals of Forest Science

    • Context In July 2005, a wildfire occurred in windthrown spruce forests in High Tatra Mountains and damaged roughly 229 ha of previously clear-cut area. • Aims The present study focuses on assessing the influence of fire disturbance upon collembolan communities and compares the subsequent development of the model communities at burnt and unburnt stands 2 years after fire disturbance. • Methods Three different treatments were selected for the study: REF stands—intact forest stands; EXT stands—clear-cut windthrown stands; and FIR stands—clear-cut windthrown stands subsequently damaged by wildfire. The study of soil microarthropods was carried out in three stands of each treatment, from soil samples taken in April and September of 2007. For statistical evaluation of results repeated measure analysis of variance and cluster analysis with indicator values were used. • Results Total material comprised of 3,632 specimens with 56 collembolan species identified. The highest Collembola abundance means were recorded in FIR stands, with the same parameter being significantly lower in REF and EXT stands. The mathematical methods demonstrated clear differences in the collembolan communities between the different treatments studied. • Conclusion The present study showed that natural wildfire may increase abundance and species richness of soil Collembola in mountain spruce forests previously damaged by windthrow.

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    Microbial dynamics in Mediterranean Moder humus
    Maria Teresa Ceccherini

    2012

    There is a growing interest in the links between humus forms and soil biota, and little is known about these links in Mediterranean ecosystems. Culture-independent techniques, such as DNA extraction followed by DGGE and enzyme activities, allowed us to compare microbial communities in two horizons of a forest soil in different seasonal conditions. Direct in situ lysis was applied for extraction of DNA from soil; intracellular DNA was separated from extracellular and used to represent the composition of microflora. The aims were to describe how biochemical and microbiological parameters correlate with topsoil properties in typical Mediterranean Moder humus. Changes in bacterial and fungal community composition were evident from DGGE profiles. Degrees of similarity and clustering correlation coefficients showed that the seasonal conditions may affect the composition and activity of bacterial and fungal communities in the OH horizon, while in the E horizon the two communities were hardly modified. In the same season, OH and E horizons showed a different composition of bacterial and fungal communities and different enzyme activities, suggesting similar behaviour of eubacteria and fungi relatively to all the variables analysed. Evidently, different organic carbon content in soil horizons influenced microflora composition and microbial activities involved in the P and N cycles.

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    Opposite responses of vascular plant and moss communities to changes in humus form, as expressed by the Humus Index
    Arnault Lalanne, Thierry Gautrot, Jean-François Ponge

    Journal of Vegetation Science, 2008

    Question: Does the distribution of plant species found in forests correlate with variation in the Humus Index (based on a ranking of humus forms) and, if so, do the species exhibit different responses according to phyletic lineages? Location: Paris Basin, France, with a temperate Atlantic climate Methods: Mosses and vascular plants (herbs, ferns) were inventoried in two broad-leaved forests with contrasting soil conditions, where 15 and 16 sites were investigated, respectively. Variety of stand age and prevailing soil conditions were analysed in 5 plots and 20 sub-plots in a grid at each site. Mantel tests were used to estimate correlations between the Humus Index and plant species richness, taking into account spatial autocorrelation. Results: The local (plot, sub-plot) species richness of moss communities increased with the Humus Index, i.e. when humus forms shifted from mull to moder. The reverse phenomenon was observed in vascular communities. The opposite response of these two plant groups could be explained by opposite strategies for nutrient capture which developed in the course of their evolutionary history. Conclusions: Although not necessarily causative, the Humus Index predict fairly well changes in species richness which occur in forest vegetation, provided that phyletic lineages and geographical position are taken into consideration.

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    The effect of topsoil removal in restored heathland on soil fauna, topsoil microstructure, and cellulose decomposition: implications for ecosystem restoration
    Karel Tajovský, Václav Pižl

    Biodiversity and Conservation, 2009

    Communities of soil macrofauna, oribatid mites, and nematodes as well as vegetation and soil chemistry were studied on twelve plots representing three replicates of the following treatments: agricultural meadow, heathland, and heathland restored either by partial or complete topsoil removal 15 years earlier. We also studied the effect of soil macrofauna on decomposition and the microstructure of the soil surface layer with litterbags in combination with the analysis of thin soil sections. The communities of soil macrofauna and oribatid mites significantly differed between agricultural meadows and heathlands. The partial and complete topsoil removal plots were more similar to heathlands with respect to macrofauna and to agricultural meadows with respect to oribatid mites. The density and diversity of soil macrofauna was higher in agricultural meadows than in heathlands; in particular, earthworms, litter transformers, root feeders, and microsaprophags were more abundant on meadows. Heathlands, in contrast, contained a much higher diversity of oribatid mites. The community structure of nematodes did not significantly differ among the treatments. Analysis of thin soil sections revealed a thick organic fermentation layer in heathlands, which was absent in agricultural meadows and only weakly developed in the topsoil removal plots. In agricultural meadows, litterbags and thin soil sections indicated that abundant macrofauna, including endogeic earthworms, were very effective in removing the litter from the soil surface and mixing it into the mineral soil. Possible effects of this soil mixing on restoration success are discussed.

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    Soil Food Web Changes during Spontaneous Succession at Post Mining Sites: A Possible Ecosystem Engineering Effect on Food Web Organization?
    Václav Pižl

    PLoS ONE, 2013

    Parameters characterizing the structure of the decomposer food web, biomass of the soil microflora (bacteria and fungi) and soil micro-, meso-and macrofauna were studied at 14 non-reclaimed 1-41-year-old post-mining sites near the town of Sokolov (Czech Republic). These observations on the decomposer food webs were compared with knowledge of vegetation and soil microstructure development from previous studies. The amount of carbon entering the food web increased with succession age in a similar way as the total amount of C in food web biomass and the number of functional groups in the food web. Connectance did not show any significant changes with succession age, however. In early stages of the succession, the bacterial channel dominated the food web. Later on, in shrub-dominated stands, the fungal channel took over. Even later, in the forest stage, the bacterial channel prevailed again. The best predictor of fungal bacterial ratio is thickness of fermentation layer. We argue that these changes correspond with changes in topsoil microstructure driven by a combination of plant organic matter input and engineering effects of earthworms. In early stages, soil is alkaline, and a discontinuous litter layer on the soil surface promotes bacterial biomass growth, so the bacterial food web channel can dominate. Litter accumulation on the soil surface supports the development of the fungal channel. In older stages, earthworms arrive, mix litter into the mineral soil and form an organo-mineral topsoil, which is beneficial for bacteria and enhances the bacterial food web channel.

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