Die Veränderung der Steppenbodenfauna unter dem Einfluß der künstlichen Bewaldung.

Abstract

1. Destruction of woods in the steppes and wood steppes of the European USSR during the last 150 years brought about xerothermisation of local conditions in these areas. The recent afforestations of the steppes have in view to moderate the hydrothermic balance of soil. - 2. A comparison between the soil fauna of the steppe, the spared natural woods and that of the afforestations allow to confirm distinct changes of the hydrothermic ba ance in the soil induced by afforestation. - 3. Investigations made in the environment of the forest experimental station of Derkul (district Lugansk, Ukraine) show, that the totality of soil insects and other invertebrates in the afforestation area exhibits more hygrophilous species compared with the surrounding steppe, which points to a higher degree of humidity in the soil of the afforestation areas. - 4. A comparison between the soil invertebrates of afforestation areas and the soil fauna of different natural biocoenoses shows, that not all the indigenous wood species enter into the old afforestations. The totality of inhabitants of the afforestations is similar to the totality of inhabitants of bushy steppe ravines, which leads to the conclusion, that the soil humidity in afforestations is insufficient for natural wood rejuvenescence. - 5. Only those soil invertebrates enter into afforestations the development of which takes place in the upper layers of the soil. So the conclusion is allowed that in afforestations of the steppe the upper layers of the soil are moistened, while the lower ones suffer loss from humidity.