The use of Collembola as bio-indicators Charlene Janion-Scheepers Iziko South African Museum, Cape Town, South Africa @cjanion
The use of Collembola as
bio-indicators
Charlene Janion-Scheepers
Iziko South African Museum, Cape Town, South Africa
@cjanion
“… a species or group of species that readily reflects: 1) the abiotic or biotic state of an environment;
2) represents the impact of environmental change on a habitat, community or
ecosystem;
3) or is indicative of the diversity of a subset of taxa, or of wholesale diversity,
within an area”
What is a biological indicator?
McGeoch et al. (2011) Koedoe
Biological indicators
Wardle et al. (2004) Science, Bardgett & van der Putten (2014) Nature
Importance of soil biota
Soil biota understudied, although soils are integral to agricultural productivity, biodiversity, and the maintenance of ecosystem services. The use of soil fauna as bio-indicators restricted to a few well-known groups.
Soil biota as indicators
Soil biota as indicators
http://www.soilhealthlab.co.za/
Soil biota as indicators
Uys et al. (2010) PlosOne
Soil biota as indicators
(a) Fungi (Aspergillus clavatus)—M. Truter, (b) Nematoda—M. Marais, (c) Protozoa—Flickr user: Picturepest*, (d) Enchytraeidae— WikiCommons user: Cherus*, (e) Tardigrada—R. Goldstein & V. Madden*, (f) Acari (Tectocepheus velatus)—L. Coetzee, (g) Microcoryphia—B. Marlin*, (h) Diplura—A. Murray*, (i) Protura—A. Murray*, (j) Collembola (Isotomurus maculatus)—C. Janion-Scheepers, (k) Oligochaeta—S. Shepherd*, (l) Amphipoda (Talitroides topitotumbest) C. Griffiths, (m) Gastropoda (Achatina imaculata)—D. Herbert, (n) Gastropoda (Chlamydephorus sexangulus)—D. Herbert (o) Isopoda (Porcellio scaber)—C. Griffiths, (p) Diplopoda (Centrobolus sp.)—M. Hamer, (q) Idiopidae (Galeosoma planiscutatum)—P. Webb, (r) Opiliones—L. Lotz, (s) Scorpiones (Opisthacanthus sp.) eating Chilopoda—J. Measey, (t) Pseudocorpiones—L. Deharveng, (u) Scarabaeinae (Scarabaeus cupreus)—Scarab Research Group, University of Pretoria, (v) Termitoidae (Hodotermes mossambicus)—J. Mitchell, (w) Formicidae (Camponotus sp.)—B. Braschler, (x1) Hepialidae (Eudalaca ammon)—R. Schutte, (x2) Gryllotalpidae (Gryllotalpa africana)—M. Picker/C. Griffiths, (x3/x4) Apidae (Anthophora braunsiana, and their nests)—A. Weaving, (y1) Scincidae (Scolxotes gronovii)—J. Measey, (y2) Cape mole rat (Georychus capensis)—J. Measey. Photographs contributed by authors unless otherwise indicated (* licenced under creative commons licence).
Collembola
Hoskins et al. (2015) Scientific Reports
Collembola
About 8,200 species worldwide.
Deharveng (2004) Pedobiologia
Europe
Southeast Asia
South Africa???
South Africa
Diversity of Collembola in South Africa
• Knowledge of Collembola in South Africa poor compared to
other countries
• From the literature, 124 recorded species of which 75
endemic, 24 widespread and 25 introduced (Janion-
Scheepers et al. 2015)
• Over 1000 species expected for SA
Diversity of Collembola in South Africa
Barcoding of Collembola
Barcoding of Collembola
Unique
BINs: 376;
(1485
specimens)
Non-unique
BINs – 59;
(5880
specimens)
www.boldsystems.org
Barcoding of Collembola
Collembola ecomorphological groups
Euedaphic Atmobiotic Epiedaphic
Collembola community structure
as bio-indicators
Iuñes de Oliveira Filho et al. (2016)
Collembola community structure can be used as a tool to assess land use effects on soil quality. Not only the presence of certain Collembola species, but also the diversity of ecomorphological groups is important for soil processes.
Collembola as bio-indicators:
habitat restoration
Liu et al. (2012) Pedobiologia
Collembola as bio-indicators: pollution
Badenhorst (2016)
Collembola as bio-indicators: fire
Janion-Scheepers et al. (2016) Appl. Soil Ecol.
Pre-fire
Collembola as bio-indicators:
climate change and invasive species
Chown et al. (2007) Proc. R. Soc. B, McGeoch et al. (2006) Austral Ecol., Janion et al. (2010), Janion-Scheepers et al. (2018) PNAS
5 15
Test temperature (°C)
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
Tim
e (m
in)
I. cf. palustris, Invasive
5 15
Test temperature (°C)
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
Tim
e (m
in)
T. bisetosa, Indigenous
Invasive Indigenous
5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 27.5 28.8
Temperature (°C)
0.00
0.02
0.04
0.06
0.08
0.10
0.12
0.14
0.16
0.18
0.20
0.22
Egg d
eve
Isotomurus cf. palustris Cryptopygus antarcticus Ceratophysella denticulata C. dubius C. tricuspis Isotoma notabilis Pogonognathellus flavescens
Lab and field experiments found invasive springtails do
better under warmer and drier conditions.
Soil biota as bio-indicators
Community level effect?
Cakir & Makineci (in press) Appl. Soil Ecol.
Soil biota as bio-indicators
Collembola x spider interaction
Summary
• The use of some terrestrial invertebrate bio-indicators are well developed in South Africa
• More groups of soil biota need to be included as bio-indicators
• For some groups, using morpho-species or functional groups is sufficient
• To use Collembola as bio-indicators, wider geographic sampling and expansion of barcoding library needed
• Building of taxonomic capacity of Collembola and other soil biota
SERG (Soil Ecosystem Research Group) - photos and data Collaborators - Lientjie Badenhorst, Steven Chown, Charles Haddad Travel support Prof. Schalk Louw
Acknowledgments
www.collembola.co.za
Thank you!
Franken et al. 2017 Oecologia
The role of physiology
Collembola
Beetle Spider Spider
Gut contents of Friesea bispinosa
• Saprophagous
(decomposing/decaying plant
material)
• Fungivorous (fungal hyphae)
• Phytophagous (pests include
Sminthurus viridis, lucerne
flea)
• Predatory (feed on
nematodes, rotifers, and
other Collembola)
Photo: Andy Murray
Diet
Collembolan mouthparts: (A) typical mandible and (B) maxilla; (C) reduced mandible and (D) maxilla of Cyphoderidae; (E) piercing and sucking mandible and (F) maxilla of Neanura; (G-I) various mandibles of Neanuridae and (J-L) various maxillae of Neanuridae.
Diet