Characteristics of soil animals' communities in different agricultural ecosystems were studied in temperate
Songnen Grassland
Region with the purpose to provide scientific gist for the restoration and recreation of grasslands and other ecosystems in the agro husbandry eco tone, and establishing the optical ecological productive pattern. The results show that groups and individuals of soil animals from cornfield, grassland and poplar woods are great different according to notability test. The differences of the groups and individuals of rare groups among the three agricultural ecosystems are great. These rare groups,therefore can indicate special environment, and then they can be called indication groups. The group number of soil animals in grassland > that in poplar woods >that in cornfield, and individual number in grassland > in cornfield >in poplar woods. Because of the best habitat, Grassland has the most group number and individual number. 18 mutual groups, as majority of the soil animals, were commonly found from the three agricultural ecosystems. There are some special groups from particular habitat who can indicate the influence of land utilization on the composition of soil animals. Generally, there are similar vertical distribution of the group and individual number of soil animals in thethree habitats. The number of group and individual of soil animals decrease with the increasing of the depth of soil layer. But it is not the entirely same. In cornfield, soil animals concentrate on lower soil layer. In grassland, they obviously gather on surface. In poplar woods they distribute more evenly. These differences indicate that the vertical distribution of soil animals in soil layers is different because of different forms of land utilization and different degree of artificial and natural disturbance. In different
agricultural ecosystem, there are some differences in the seasonal changes in soil animals' communities. Because of lack of food after the crop harvest, the group number of soil animals decreases obviously in autumn in cornfield. While the number of soil animals in poplar woods tends to increase in autumn because increasing litters result in abundant food. The seasonal changes of soil animals in grassland have the typical distribution characteristics of soil fauna in
Songnen Grassland. The community diversity of soil animals in grassland> that in poplar woods> that in cornfield. The correlation between ground temperature and the group number of soil animals, while the correlation between soil environment factors including water content, pH value, nutrient content and the individual number of soil animals is obvious.