(Picea Mariana Mill) HUMUS by Valerie Behan a Thesis
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THE EFFECTS OF UREA ON ACARINA AND OTHER ARI'HROPODS IN QUEBEC BLACK SPRUCE (Picea mariana Mill) HUMUS by Valerie Behan A thesis submitted to the Fa culty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science Department of Entomology, Macdonald ~pus of McGill University, Montreal, Quebec. June 1972 @ Valerie Behan 1973 ABSTRACT M.Sc. Valerie Behan Entomology THE EFFECTS OF UREA ON ACARINA AND OTHER ARTHROPODS IN QUEBEC BLACK SPRUCE (Picea mariana Mill) HUMUS Low productivity of temperate forest soils presents a Challenge to those exploiting them for economic gain. Pro- ductivity can be increased by the application of fertilizers. The present study examines the effects of added nitrogen on the arthropods of Black spruce humus. Humus samples were taken monthly throughout the summer of 1971 from plots whiCh had been fertilized with urea in early June, 1971. The extracted fauna was examined qualita- tively and quantitatively. Ninety-two species of Acarina were recorded. Application of urea causes an initial reduction in arthropod density, followed by a rapid increase. The arthro- pods also responded by moving downwards after urea was applied. The appearance of Iphidozercon sp. in the treated plots com- prised the only major Change in species composition. The implications of the above Changes are discussed in relation to the role of soil arthropods in temperate conifer- ous forest soils. RESUME M.Sc. Valerie Behan Entomology LES EFFETS DE L'UREE SUR ACARINA ET AUTRES ARTRROPODES DANS UN HUMUS D'EPINETTES NOIRES DU QUEBEC (Picea mariana Mill) Le faible rendement des sols de forets"" temperees" " pose un probleme" a ceux qu~. les exploite~t commercialement. La productivite" peut cependant ""etre augmentee" par l'application de fertilisant. Ce travail examine les effets de l'addition d'azote, sous forme d'urée, sur les arthropodes, principale- " ment Acarina, dans un humus d'ep~nettes. no~res.. Des ~Chantillons d'humus provenant d'une parcelle tra~tee." a'1" 'uree, au debut" de juin 1971, furent preleves.. ... chaque mois au cours du même été. Les différents arthropodes furent extraits du sol, identifies et comptes. Quatre-vingt douze espèces d'Acarina furent enregistrés. L'application d'urée a provoque au début une baisse de la population d'arthropodes, suivie d'une augmentation rapide qui s'est poursuivie jusqu'a la fin de la periode .", . , . d'éChantillonnage_ Les arthropodes ont aussi reag~ a l'appl~- cation d'urée en émigrant vers le bas. L'apparition d'Iphido- zercon Spa, dans les parcelles traitées fut le seul changement majeur note" dans la composition de la population. Les change- ments mentio~es sont discutes en relation avec le rôle des A • , arthropodes du sol dans un humus de foret de con~feres de " "" ; reg~on. temperee. --1• , ". '.. :, Suggested Short Title - EFFECTS OF UREA ON ACARINA OF BLACK SPRUCE HUMUS BEHAN ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS l wish to express sincere gratitude to my research director, Dr. D.K.McE. Kevan, for his kindness and his helpful criticisms of the manuscript. l would also like to thank my supervisor Dr. S.B. Hill, who guided and helped me at every stage and without whose encouragement l could not have com pleted this study. l am indebted to the forestry personnel of the Pulp and Paper Research Institute of Canada (P.P.R.I.C.) who allowed me to use their experimental plots in Mont Tremblant Park and who frequently provided transport. Special thanks are due to Dr. G.F. Weetman for the interest he took in this study. l am also very grateful to members of the staff and stud'ents of Macdonald campus, especially, Dr. R. Knowles for information on the microbiology of the stand, Dr. H-C. Lim for help with the presentation of the thesis, Mr. A. Journet for assistance with statistical problems and Mrs. D. Zwartz for technical help. Finally, l would like to thank Mrs. J. Vauthier for typing the manuscript. This research was made possible by a grant from the Canadian Forestry Service (Department of the Environment). iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS •••••••••.•.••••..••••.••••••••.••••• iv LIST OF FIGURES ••••••.••.••.•.•.•••••••••.•••••••••.• vii LIST OF PLATES viii LIST OF TABLES ....................................... ix Chapter I. INTRODUCTION. • • . • • • • • • • • • . • . .. • • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • 2 II. SITE DESCRIPTION AND METHODS ••••••••••••••••• 9 A. Site Description 9 1. Sampling Area 9 2. Fertilization Regime ••.•..•.••••.•..•.• 15 B. Methods •••••••••••••.••••••••••••••••••••• 18 1. preliminary Studies •••••••••••••••••••• 18 2. Sampling Procedure ••••••••••••••••••••• 20 3. Extraction ••••.•••••••••••.••••.••..•.• 24 4. Sample Processing •••••••••••••••••••••• 29 III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 35 A. Qualitative Results 46 1. Composition of the Acarine Fauna ••••••• 46 B. Quantitative Results •••••••••••••••••••••• 51 1. Total Density of the Arthropod Fauna ••• 51 2. Relative Abundance of the Major Groups • 58 3. Ratio Between Soil Arthropods from Treated and Control Plots •••••••••••••• 63 4. Relative Abundance of Acarine Species •• 66 v Table of Contents (cont'd) Chapter Page III. B. 5. Population Fluctuations of Major Groups. 72 6. Population Fluctuations of Acarine Species •••••••.•••••••.•.••••.•.••.••••• 90 7. Vertical Distribution of Major Groups ••• 100 8. Vertical Distribution of Acarine Species. 103 9. Horizontal Distribution of Acarine Species Within Plots •••••••••••••••••••• 108 10. Significant Difference Between Plots 113 c. Role of the Soil Arthropods in Northern Tern- perate Forests ••••••••.••••••••.••••••••••• 117 1. The Importance of the Soil Fauna ••• ~.... 117 2. Bole of Nitrogen Turn-over in Black Spruce Humus ••••••••••.••••.••••.•..•••• 126 3. Effects of Nitrogen Application on the Soil Fauna •••.•••••.•••••.•••••••••••••• 128 IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ••••••••••••••••••••••• 135 v. REFERENCES ••••••••••••••••••••••.•.••.•.•••••• 143 VI. APPENDIX ••••..••••.••••••.••••••.•.•••••.•..•• 159 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Map of Mont Tremblant Park, showing location of Black spruce stand ••••••••••••••••••••••••• 10 2. Plot design for Black spruce fertilization experiments, 1968 and 1971 •••••••••••••••••••• 17 3. Changes in population density of total soil arthropods with time, 1971 •••••••••••••••••••• 74 4. Changes in population density of Acarina with time, 1971 •••••••••.••••••.•••••.•••••..••..•• 78 5. Changes in population density of Mesostigmata with time, 1971 ••••..•••••••••••.•.••.•••••••• 80 6. Changes in population density of Astigmata with time, 1971 ••...•.•••••..••••.•••.•.••••.•.•••. 81 7. Changes in population density of Prostigmata with time, 1971 •••.•••.•....•••••••.•.••..•••• 83 8. Changes in population density of Cryptostigmata with time, 1971 •••.••••••.••••••..••.•••.••..• 85 9. Changes in population density of immature Acarina with time, 1971 ••••••••••••••••••••••• 87 10. Changes in population density of Collembola with time, 1971 ••.•••.•.•.••.••••.•.•••.•.•.•• 89 Il. Changes in population density of acarine species with time, 1971 ••••••••••••••••••••••• 91 12. Diagrammatic representation of the" nitrogen cycle in the Black spruce stand ••••••••••••••• 118 vii LIST OF PLATES Plate Page 1. Black spruce stand as seen from the air Il 2. Podzolic soil profile, showing humus layer and the eluviated light coloured borizon - Ae 13 3. Feather mosses (Hypnaceae) at boundary of treated Plot 16, October 13, 1971. Left, dead mess where fertilizer was applied. Right, growing moss where no ferti1izer was applied •• 13 4. Black spruce stand, control Plot 3, October 13, 1971 •••••••••••••••••.••••••••.••••••.•••••••• 19 5. Black spruce stand, urea-treated Plot 16, October 13 1 1971 .••••••••••••••••.•••••••••••• 19 6. Large extraction apparatus used for the pre liminary samples taken from plots fertilized in 1968 •••.•••••.••••••••.••••••••.••••.•••••• 21 7. Sampling apparatus: aluminium template, knife, plastic bag and spade, with a typical sample •• 21 8. Small extraction apparatus, showing the incan descent lights which are acting as resistors 25 9. Humus samples in small extractor with infra- red lamps on ••••.••••••.••••••.••••••••••••••• 25 10. Extractor in use showing funnel shaped reducer. 27 Il. Extractor in use with the infra-red lamps on 27 12. Apparatus for suCking off water from bowls: vacuum pump, sintered glass funnel and an 8 oz. screw-top jar used for storing sample ••••••••• 31 viii LIST OF TABLES Table Page I. Monthly temperature and precipitation data for 1971, from St. Guillaume Meteorological station •.••••••••••••••.••••••••••••••.••••.•.. 14 II. Design of fertilizer application in the Black spruce stand for 1968 and 1971 ••••••••••••••• 16 III. Temperature variation in the extraction appar- atus with the infra-red lamps fullyon ••••••• 30 IV. Acarine fauna of Black spruce humus, Mt. Trem- blant Park, Quebec ••••••••••••••••••.••••.••. 36 V. Total number of 'other' soil arthropods per sample (25 x 20 x 8 cm deep), taken on October 15, 1970, from the plots fertilized in 1968 44 VI. Mean number of 'other' soil arthropods per sample (8 x 8 x 8 cm deep) , taken from plots fertilized on June 3, 1971 ••••••••••••••••••• 45 VII. The number of Cryptostigmata species recorded during the present study compared with other published results •.•••••••.••••.•.•••.••••••• 50 VIII. Mean density per area and per volume and the variance, standard deviation and standard error of the mean of the soil arthropods col- lected from the Black spruce stand in 1971 ••• 52 IX. Mean density