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Full text release has been delayed at the author's request until November 14, 2026

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Responses of Soil Invertebrate Communities and Bioindicator Taxa to Forest Management and Landscape-Level Variation in Central Hardwood Forests of North America

Lloyd, Gwendolyn
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9120-138X
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1731588544237398

Abstract Details

2024, Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, Biology.
Climate change has caused shifts in species ranges, including oak and hickory. These species are in high demand commercially, and benefit from forest management for regeneration. Terrestrial invertebrates have shown major declines in biodiversity and biomass due to anthropogenic disturbances and climate change. Due to their sensitivity to disturbance, some terrestrial invertebrate taxa are proposed as bioindicators. The goals of this dissertation are to quantify the impact of different forest management practices on invertebrates along a mesic to xeric topographic gradient. Additionally, I evaluated two bioindicator taxa, ants and carabid beetles, to understand how well they can be used as indicators of environmental changes and the overall soil invertebrate community composition. This study took place in Morgan-Monroe and Yellowwood State Forests in central Indiana. The study design consisted of nested hierarchical design with management treatments along northeast and southwest facing aspects as well as paired transects at ridgetops and lowlands. Soil and litter invertebrates (mesofauna), ants, and beetles were sampled along each transect, in addition to environmental metrics of soil characteristics, tree composition, and forest floor composition. Transects were sampled over a total of three years to understand temporal changes and landscape variation. For each invertebrate group, abundance, diversity, and community composition were compared to the environmental and design variables. Soil mesofauna biomass was also measured, and associations with ants and beetles were also analyzed. All three communities investigated had a shift in species composition caused by management and topography. Invertebrate biomass and diversity were lower at xeric sites compared to mesic sites. At sites with forest management, this trend became stronger. Ants showed variable responses to management due to the habitat heterogeneity in successional forests; ant community composition was influenced by litter biomass and composition. Beetle diversity and abundance had a negative association with management due to moisture stress along the mesic to xeric topographic gradient. Ant and litter mesofauna diversity were strongly associated, but mesofauna diversity was weakly associated with beetle diversity. These patterns of association can be used to help determine appropriate bioindicators for soil community composition after disturbance, which drive nutrient cycling and decomposition. Ants and beetles also show sensitivity to environmental changes, suggesting they can also be bioindicators of forest recovery. The findings of this dissertation can help us understand future shifts due to climate change. As managed forests become hotter and drier, more mesic locations will experience moisture stressors of xeric sites. By understanding the differences in moisture along topographic gradients, we can help mitigate and plan for these events.
Thomas Crist (Advisor)
Henry Stevens (Committee Member)
Melany Fisk (Committee Member)
Mary Henry (Committee Member)
Jing Zhang (Committee Member)
173 p.
Ecology; Entomology; Forestry
terrestrial invertebrates; bioindicator taxa; forest management; forest disturbance; community ecology; soil invertebrates; ants; beetles

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Lloyd, G. (2024). Responses of Soil Invertebrate Communities and Bioindicator Taxa to Forest Management and Landscape-Level Variation in Central Hardwood Forests of North America [Doctoral dissertation, Miami University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1731588544237398

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Lloyd, Gwendolyn. Responses of Soil Invertebrate Communities and Bioindicator Taxa to Forest Management and Landscape-Level Variation in Central Hardwood Forests of North America. 2024. Miami University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1731588544237398.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Lloyd, Gwendolyn. "Responses of Soil Invertebrate Communities and Bioindicator Taxa to Forest Management and Landscape-Level Variation in Central Hardwood Forests of North America." Doctoral dissertation, Miami University, 2024. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1731588544237398

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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© 2024, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Miami University and OhioLINK.