Fauna activity on soils developing on dead logs in an ancient inland temperate rainforest of North British Columbia (Canada)

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of the study was to compare the feeding activity of soil fauna in forest floor soil and in soil layer developing on dead cedar logs in temperate ancient rainforest of North British Columbia (Canada) inlands. Materials and methods: Bait–lamina test was applied to study the soil fauna feeding activity. On each of ten plots, measurements were conducted on a dead tree trunk (log) and in the typical forest floor soil in the close vicinity (< 10 m) of the log. A range of physicochemical properties of soil was measured for both environments. Results and discussion: The feeding activity of soil fauna did not differ between log and forest floor soils (paired t test, t = 0.1693). Log soils and forest floor soils did not differ in a range of physicochemical properties measured, that is element content and pH, with the exception of organic matter content, which was significantly higher in log soil than in forest floor soil (p = 0.037). Conclusions: Soil developing on dead cedar logs creates a similar environment for the development and activity of soil fauna as the organic layer of forest floor soil.