EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY EJE 2018, 4(2): 1-14, doi:10.2478/eje-2018-0008 Diatom and microarthropod communities of three airfields in Estonia – their differences and similarities and possible linkages to airfield properties 1 School of Natural Sci- Piret Vacht1, Annely Kuu2, Liisa Puusepp1,3, Tiiu Koff1,3, Sander Kutti2, Jane Raamets2, Liisa Küttim1,3 ences and Health, Tallinn University, Narva Rd 25, 10120, Tallinn, Estonia Corresponding author, ABSTRACT E-mail:
[email protected] Even though airfields, which are often anthropologically modified natural areas, are continuously influenced by 2 School of Engineering, human activities, their soils are still dynamic ecosystems containing various habitats for microscopic groups of Tartu College of Tallinn organisms which are often ignored. In this exploratory study, the microarthropod fauna, Collembola (Hexapoda) University of Technology, and oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida), and diatom (Bacillariophyta) flora were identified in three Estonian air- Puiestee 78, 51008, Tartu fields, both runway sides and snow-melting sites were investigated. The communities of these airfields shared 3 Institute of Ecol- approximately 10–60% of the species belonging to each studied bioindicator group. The shared species were ogy, Tallinn University, generally characteristic of a broad habitat spectrum. Communities were also characterized based on their species Uus-Sadama 5, 10120, richness and diversity and in relation to location and the purpose of different airfield areas (e.g. snow-melting Tallinn, Estonia sites vs. runway sides). Also, species indicative of a specific airfield or purpose of the area within the airfield were identified using Indicator Species Analysis. Some possible linkages between airfield properties and communities, e.g.