The saprophagous macrofauna of different types of humus in beech forests of the Ardenne (Belgium)

International audience ; All the macrofauna were sampled in the litter and deep soil of thirteen beechwoods, situated within the same geographical and geological area (the central Ardenne), but with different humus types: mesotrophic mull, dystrophic mull, moder and dysmoder. The analysis of data for 21 saprophagous taxa in 96 sampling units showed that the mesotrophic mull community was characterized not only by Lumbricidae (anecic, endogeic and some epigeic species), but also by many other epigeic taxa, pertaining mainly to Diplopoda, Isopoda and Gastropoda. By contrast, Elaterid larvae were... Mehr ...