Preliminary study on soil fauna as a tool for monitoring of the "Springs Complex of Corbii Ciungi" protected area - Romania

The research objective was to demonstrate the use of soil fauna groups as a tool for monitoring of the “Springs Complex of Corbii Ciungi” protected area (the IUCN category 4), Dâmboviţa County, Romania. Some ecological indicators were quantified: taxonomic diversity, numerical abundance, dominance, evenness, equitability, Acari/Collembola ratio; Oribatida+Mesostigmata/Prostigmata+Astigmata ratio; correlations between the investigated communities and environmental factors (soil layer thickness, air temperature and humidity, soil temperature and moisture, soil pH, soil penetration resistance, exposure, slope, amount of organic carbon, total N, soil nutrients and the vegetation cover). Transects located near the water sources, were characterised by biological indicators with higher values. There was a significant interdependence between environmental variables. They influenced the abundance and distribution of the edaphic taxonomic groups. Statistical multivariate analysis showed that certain edaphic groups (from a total of 34 taxonomical taxa) are dependent especially on soil moisture e.g. Lumbricidae, Collembola and Oribatida.