, _. ‘ ‘:v‘ ~¢gf.o.ri vsanvv‘OVpOOOIOOOOOOoo‘Q?OWMoclat-(ooogq'ovo¥-«mr.~.”moghu\hqy.,.’nww u . ~ I ' n-v-v vv'-----—-n-.c.~l'— . ... VVvvv-VV'V‘" v—v- ''''''''' """" - 1 O Q -I _ D O ‘ .0 7-. .t. _ IA, ' I" 53'" THE SOIL ARTHRGPODS or A woonan LOT' :_ - ~ f ;*;;j_]}_;v;:3;;§§;‘=3 ,5: ; IN SOUTHWESTERN MICHIGAN Thesis 'foI The Degree 0‘ M 5. J; __ ' MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY \ - _ _. f Judithuir Aitkenw ' ‘ - - ' "9 ;:'. I f "19.6.4." " . "L' -g“ V 4 ‘ vv‘ 400¢3N.¢..fi.‘.‘ _'1 " "°‘ '4- ‘fl” ' '}: rd N I ' ' 0..." Ilflmfllfilllmflmfltflmflfllfifl IL 31293 00093 5993 LIBRARY Michigan State University ABSTRACT THE SOIL ARTHROPODS OF A WOODED LOT IN SOUTHWESTERN MICHIGAN by Judith Muir Aitken Arthropods found in a wooded lot in Kalamazoo County, Michigan revealed little variation among the taxa found in the various micro-habitats. Polvxenus §E,, a genus of millepede not recorded for the area, was found in the area studied. The amount of precipitation, position on the hill, drainage, temperature, pH, and phosphorous content of the soil contributed to the importance of the distribution of the animals. Plant and animal associations play an impor- tant part in the balanced soil community. THE SOIL ARTHROPODS OF A WOODED LOT IN SOUTHWESTERN MICHIGAN BY Judith Muir Aitken A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of- MASTER OF SCIENCE Department of Zoology 1964 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am greatly indebted to Dr. T. Wayne Porter for his encouragement, direction, and constructive criticism. His initial suggestions and observations in Invertebrate Zoology were the inception of my interest in the field. Sincere thanks are also expressed to Dr. Ivan F. Schneider, John G. Eaton, Charles S. Scarborough, and Richard J. Snider who have all contributed to the many phases of this research. Helpful suggestions and opinions were given by Drs. Jane E. Smith, John A. King, Wilbert E. Wade, and Roland L. Fischer. They were greatly appreciated. Gratitude is also expressed to Mrs.IL P. Henderson for the services she rendered, and to Mr. G. Noordam who aided in many ways at W. K. Kellogg Biological Station. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . ii INTRODUCTION . Ia DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA . -b Location . In Geological History and Surface Features a Study Area . u: METHODS AND MATERIALS . .'. as Collections . ox Preservation . ~4 Temperature Data . .‘. (n Chemical Data . (n Identification and Study . (n STUDY AREA AND SELECTION OF SAMPLES 0 ECOLOGICAL DISCUSSION . H o Physical Factors . F‘ P4 Chemical Factors . Lu P‘ Biological Associations . .5 F4 Botanical . 9 IA Zoological . .'. Ia U1 SUMMARY . Lo Id LIST OF ARTHROPODS FOUND . 9 Io BIBLIOGRAPHY . UI w iii LIST OF TABLES Table Page Distribution record for macroarthropods collected in the sampling area . 20 List of Collembola . 30 List of Acarina families found . 31 Number of organisms per sample . 32 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Sampling plots and vegetation in the wooded lot . 33 2. Position of lot . 35 3. Amount of rainfall . .i. 37 4. Position on the hill . 39 5. Temperature . 41 6. Months sampled . 43 7. pH . 45 8. Available phosphorous . 47 INT RODUCTI ON Arthropods are represented in every type of soil en- vironment. In most soils they are the most numerous of micro- and macrofauna present. In spite of their abundance in the soil, they have not been intensively studied as a group. Published European studies have been more extensive than those in the United States. Among the more notable are those of Bornebusch (1930), Kevan (1955, 1962), and Kuhnelt (1955, 1961). Bornebusch's work was not as thorough as that of the workers that followed him, but it stimulated a wave of studies of the soil fauna. Articles written in the past twenty years show the influence of Bornebusch's work and established the basis for subsequent ecological and taxonomic studies (Dowdy, 1947, and Lawrence, 1953). With a refinement of equipment and techniques, and, with the grow— ing interest in the subject, there tended to be a division of pure phylogenetic investigations into that of certain orders or classes. Studies of specific taxa appeared to become prevalent. Kuhnelt (1955) and Kevan (1962) have attempted to organize the workdone on the various orders and classes, but the vast expanse of information available has made it difficult to publish a complete synopsis that will adequately cover a study of the phylum. Progress in different geographical areas has also advanced at different rates. Recent ecological investigations by Kevan (1962), however, indicate reassemblage of the phylum and a more comparative analysis. Investigation of soil arthropods in the United States has not been intensively pursued. Hairston and Byers (1959) acknowledged the great expanse of material that could be obtained from a study of the phylum, but in their research, they identified the arthropods only to order. Families, genera, and species were referred to by letter and number. Engelmann (1961) listed only the Acarina or mites and again, only to suborder and lesser taxa were referred to by letter and number. Gasdorf and Goodnight (1963) identified only soil arachnids to genus. Michigan is one of the few states in which investiga- tions have been made of soil arthropods. Hairston and Byer (1959), and Engelmann (1961) studied in Michigan, however, these were made in southeastern Michigan, and the arthropods were not identified other than to order. Engelmann was concerned with an old field community. Hairston and Byer discovered that little correlation or agreement was found between populations in pastured and forested lands. The present research is an attempt to investigate the arthropods of a wooded community in southwestern Michigan and to indicate the diversity of arthropods living within a small area. DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA Location The area investigated is part of Michigan State Univer- sity property on Gull Lake, Kalamazoo County, approximately twelve and one—half miles northeast of Kalamazoo, Michigan. The area is on the northeastern side of the lake (T15, R9, W56). Geological History and Surface Features The land in the vicinity of the study area is pitted outwash plain connected with the Kalamazoo Morainic system of the Lake Michigan and Saginaw Lobes of the Wisconsin glacial stage. The basin occupied by Gull Lake suggests the persistence of a mass of stagnant ice along the course of the glacial drainage system during the deposition of outwash gravel. This area is southwest of the morainic belt built by the Saginaw lobe where knob and kettle topography is present. The area investigated is in the outwash plain. The drift of this morainic system is Bellefontaine sandy loam. Numerous lakes, swamps, and marshes are found surrounding the studied area. Little soil development has occurred, and sand and gravel are prominent immediately under the shallow organic layer. 4 Study7Area The area studied is in a wooded site adjacent to the W. K. Kellogg Biological Station of Michigan State Univer- sity. One side of the woodlot is bounded by a field and on the opposite side by a marsh. It was logged over approxi- mately 60 years ago and a more recently used logging road runs through the area. Sheep grazed the land in 1960. The woodlot is located on a slope of approximately 30 degrees which runs the length of the area between the field and the marsh. The slope faces northeast, the direction of drainage. The study plot is 50 meters across the top, bot- tom, and along one side, the fourth side is 60 meters long, the greater length of this side accorded by the contours of the marsh at the bottom of the plot (see Figure 2). METHODS AND MATERIALS Collections Samples were taken randomly from the area. The plot was divided in 27 squares each 100 square meters by driving steel stakes into the ground. The stakes were painted white in order to facilitate their location. Using the above squares, a stratified random sampling procedure, each of the squares was divided into 100 smaller squares, one meter on a side and numbered consecutively from left to right when looking north. By randomly picking one of these numbers, a one square meter area inside each larger square was selected. These one square meter areas were then divided into 16 equal parts, each 25 centimeters on a side. By randomly choosing one of these sixteen parts in each one square area, 27 sampling areas were obtained and distributed within the sample plot. Two subsequent samplings were taken as follows: a) the first, to the right or north side of the original; and b) directly below or to the east of the second sampling in each area (Figure 1). Soil samples were collected to a depth of one inch plus leaf litter and debris, and were 25 centimeters square in area. These samples were carefully placed in plastic bags and carried to the laboratory; there, sorted by hand for macroarthropods. If time prevented immediate sorting, then they were refrigerated temporarily. This did not appear to have a detrimental effect on the animals. Four separate core samples were taken to a depth of six inches. These were used in evaluation of the vertical distribution of the organisms and not included in the com- puted data. The sorted refuse from the samples used in the researCh was then placed in a modified Tullgren funnel so that the effect of the heat and light would drive the microarthropods down and out of the soil. The animals were then collected in specimen jars filled with 70% alcohol. Preservation The jars of 70% alcohol were stored until identification could be accomplished. The annelids and molluscs were then removed and the arthropods sorted.