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Peatlands in anthropogenically transformed landscapes play an important role in biodiversity conservation. Most Baltic raised bogs have been completely destroyed by drainage and peat extraction. Collembolan and plant assemblages from an old peat mine (post-excavation pits and dykes overgrown by pine trees) were compared to those of intact ombrotrophic raised bog habitats (open bog and bog-pine forest) 70 years after excavation cessation. The plant cover and collembolan structure in regenerating pits were similar to those of the assemblages in natural open raised bogs. Rare tyrphobiont and tyrphofilous Collembola species occurred in both habitats. The assemblages in open bog habitats differed significantly from those in natural pine bog forest and dykes overgrown by pine trees. The assemblages of the natural open raised bog and pine bog forest were the most diverse and included numerous highly specialized Collembola species. The assemblages occurring on wooded dykes were significantly different from those at other peatland sites and were more similar to those of upland pine forests. The analysis of environmental factors (determined by moss Ellenberg numbers) showed that moisture was the most important factor affecting Collembola occurrence in natural and disturbed habitats. The occurrence of moss species also had a significant influence on the species composition of the collembolan assemblages. Our study revealed that seventy years of spontaneous ecosystem regeneration after peat excavation have led to habitat restoration for peat bog mesofauna. These results have important implications for conservation and restoration planning in disturbed peatlands.

The Bialowieza Primeval Forest is the largest remnant of temperate virgin forest in central Europe. To investigate the relationship between forest type and edaphic Collembola assemblages, we established 36 study sites in the Strict Nature Reserve that represented the most valuable old growth forest stands and included most of the variability in forest type. The faunas of the humid and boggy deciduous forests were more abundant than those of the moderately humid forests. Three primary groups of assemblages were revealed by multivariate analysis to be typical of the following forest types: (i) coniferous bog forest, (ii) humid and moderately humid coniferous forest, and (iii) deciduous forest. Collembola assemblages were only moderately related to specific forest types but instead changed continuously along the environmental gradient that they formed. At the species level, the correlations to forest type were stronger, and approximately one-third of the collembolan species qualified as significant forest type indicators; both forest specialists and forest generalists were identified. Six species were revealed to be forest generalists because they indicated a wide spectrum of forest types. Nine species were significantly correlated with four to six forest types and were identified as broad specialists, and seventeen indicator species were associated with one, two or three forest types and were classified as narrow specialists. Because the correlation between the edaphic Collembola faunas and forest type revealed a gradual rather than categorical change in the community assemblages, we suggest that this relationship be considered in the development of future forest monitoring programmes.

The long-term effects of large-scale disturbance on forest ecosystem processes and structure are poorly understood. To assess the effects of large-scale clear-cutting on the taxonomic and functional structure of collembolan assemblages, 18 plots were established in the Polish part of Białowieża Forest. All plots, situated in a mixed Tilio-Carpinetum broad-leaved forest, had eutrophic Cambisol developed on rich glacial deposits. The Collembola assemblages in the stands that had naturally regenerated on large-scale clear-cuts performed at the beginning of the 20th century were compared to those in old-growth forests (i.e., the endpoint of stand development following stand-replacing disturbance). Collembolans, one of the most numerous soil microarthropods, are successfully used to assess the consequences of forest management and ecosystem restoration. Our study tested whether seven decades of spontaneous forest development after large-scale anthropogenic disturbance ensures the complete recovery of the soil Collembola. Using complementary taxonomic and life-form approaches, we provide evidence that the collembolan assemblages associated with the tree stands that had spontaneously developed in large harvesting plots distinctly differed from those in old-growth deciduous forests in this region despite seven decades of regenerative forest succession. The species diversity of the assemblages in the naturally regenerated tree stands was significantly lower, and their life-form structure was noticeably different from those in the reference forests. Moreover, the shift in the functional group structure of the collembolan assemblages in the stands that had regenerated after clear-cutting indicates that their activity seven decades after disturbance is concentrated mainly on the decomposition of the litter in the upper layers, whereas the processes controlled by these organisms in the deeper soil layers are not fully restored.

The restoration of forest ecosystems on former agricultural land faces numerous challenges resulting mainly from differences in soil properties between post-arable and continuously forested ground. We revisited a 34-year-old but very well-documented experiment with enrichment in organic matter of the arable sandy soil aiming to accelerate humus formation and soil biota regeneration in Scots pine plantation. The goal of our study was to determine whether the addition of a mixture of pine bark with sawdust or lupine cultivation would change the selected soil properties and, as a result, would shift soil microarthropods of post-agricultural plantations towards those occurring in pine monocultures on continuously forested land. The effect of tillage depth was also studied. The soil properties of the experimental plantation differed significantly from those of the forest soil with respect to the pH, nitrogen (N) content, C/N ratio, sum of exchangeable base cations and degree of soil saturation with base cations. Moreover, the diversity and taxonomic and functional structures of Collembola assemblages differed considerably from the assemblages of pine monoculture of the same age growing on continuously forested land. The expectation of the experiment was not met; however, a certain significant ameliorative effect on some soil properties was observed with some treatments. The total organic carbon content (TOC), C/N ratio and cation exchange capacity increased as a result of the addition of bark and sawdust. In plots where deep tillage was applied, the TOC and N contents were lower than those in plots with shallow soil cultivation. A significant increase in the number of hemiedaphic forms at the expense of euedaphic and atmobiotic forms was observed in plots with lupine, while a mixture of pine bark and sawdust caused an increase in the number of euedaphic forms. Soil pH was identified as a key parameter that determined the difference between forest and post-agricultural collembolan assemblages. The variability of the structure of post-agricultural assemblages depends on N and exchangeable Mg2+ contents and hydrolytic acidity. The enrichment of post-arable soil with organic matter and tillage had long-lasting effects on soil properties but did not stimulate restoration of forest collembolan assemblages on former farmland.

Background: Collembola are an important component of soil communities in all terrestrial ecosystems. In temperate coniferous forests, they are one of the most numerous invertebrate groups and disturbances that change their density and structure may have negative effects on soil fertility and productivity. Our goal was to determine whether intensive rooting in the forest floor by wild boars affects edaphic Collembola. Soil samples from three paired rooted and non-rooted plots in Scots pine stands were taken twice a year to study the impact of such bioturbation on forest collembolan assemblages. Results: Substantial changes in the taxonomic and functional structure of the collembolan assemblages were identified in all disturbed plots. The abundance and number of species significantly decreased in the bioturbated forest floor. The shares of atmobiotic and hemiedaphic springtails increased at the expense of epedaphic forms. Most of the differences were evident shortly after grubbing but were not significant a few months later. The decline in moisture in disturbed soil could be an explanatory factor causing the differences in the structure and abundance of collembolan assemblages between the bioturbated and intact plots.Conclusions:Our study revealed that large mammals ubiquitous in forest ecosystems can be an important disturbing factor for soil microarthropods. Intensive wild boar rooting in the forest floor had a strong negative effect on the occurrence and abundance of Collembola. This kind of bioturbation caused also the modification to the functional structure of assemblages, which in turn may have important consequences for soil food web and above- and below-ground interactions.

Based on data obtained from the Information System of Polish State Forests (SILP), we compiled a register of segments with northern red oak within the area of the Grotniki Forest District. For all of these stands, the cover of Q. rubra in the tree, understory (undergrowth and shrub layer) and herb layer was determined for at least three points and then rated on a ten-point scale (1st class – 10%, 2nd class – 20%, etc.). The current distribution of Q. rubra in all forest layers was analysed with respect to the type of forest habitat and stand age. Additionally, a prosperity index of northern red oak was calculated separately for two Forest Inspectorates and for all forest habitat types. The divisions with Q. rubra in the Grotniki Forest District comprise a total area of 4,845,86 hectares, which represents 33% of the forest district’s area. In the Grotniki Forest Inspectorate 3,447,75 hectares (38% of the forested area) and in the Glowno Forest Inspectorate 1,398,11 hectares (25%) were inventoried. In all layers of the stands, the second and the third classes of coverage were the most commonly recorded, while Q. rubra covered the largest surface area in the herb layer, which confirms that this species is spread continuously in the forest district’s stands. In the Grotniki Forest Inspectorate, Q. rubra occurred most frequently in stands of the third age class, whereas in the Głowno Forest Inspectorate stands of the fourth age class had the highest rate of occurrence. The forest habitat in which Q. rubra achieved the highest prosperity index is a moderately humid mixed coniferous forest.

Summary Four well-developed, spontaneous ecotone zones between forest plantations and meadows were chosen for the study. A belt of shrubs and juvenile trees formed these zones. Communities of meadow plants change into the community of forest plants within the zones of 5 to 18 metres wide. These zones were narrower in the ecotones with a southern exposure and wider in northern ones. The soil pH changed gradually from neutral or slightly acidic in the meadow to acidic or strongly acidic in the forest interior. Eurytopic species predominated within the collembolan ommunities, but their percentage was lower in the meadow. Species typical of open land, which dominated in the meadows, did not occur in the forest interiors; however, they were still present in the shrub zones. There were no species which occurred only in the transitional zones but the forest edge had positive effect on diversity of Collembola communities in these zones.

Summary The small basin bogs situated in pine forest plantation have preserved specific and interesting collembolan fauna. Many stenotypic species typical of mire habitats were reported in these enclaves: Ceratophysella mosquensis, C.scotica, Isotomurus plumosus, Ballistura crassicauda, Arrhopalites principalis, Sminthurides schoetti, S. malmgreni, S. parvulus and S. pseudassimilis. A few rare species were also found: Isotoma neglecta, I.tenuicornis, I. ruseki, Folsomia bisetosa, Pseudanurophorus binoculatus, A. spinosus and Stachorutes sphagnophilus. The species composition, richness and diversity of Collembola communities varied according to size of peatland, mire type, water conditions, plant communities and terrain topography. However, the distribution of boreal-alpine species, that occurred in basin bogs, was not clearly related to these parameters. Cluster analysis showed a high similarity of Collembola communities of mires situated in the same geographical subprovince.

The Balkan pine (Pinus peuce) is a Balkan Peninsula endemic tree species, growing in high mountains of Bulgaria, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, and Greece and forming pure and mixed stands in subalpine forests. The paper gives a survey of biodiversity of Balkan pine stands in the Rogów Arboretum in reference to environmental data. In the plots examined, 29 taxa of vascular plants, 29 taxa of macrofungi and 127 taxa of invertebrates were recorded. The revealed diversity is discussed with regard to the data from Pinus peuce natural habitats.

The paper gives a survey of biodiversity of planted red maple (Acer rubrum L.) stands in Rogów Arboretum according to the background of environmental data. Red maple is native species to the eastern United States and Canada. The study has shown the presence of 40 taxa of vascular plants, 11 taxa of macrofungi and 111 taxa of invertebrates. The documented biodiversity of A. rubrum stands has been commented concerning the respective data from natural habitats. &nbsp