Environment and Interdisciplinary Development

The Impact of Land-Use Change on the Diversity of Soil Macroinvertebrates in Rangelands and Hand-Planted Forests (Lavizan Forest Park, Tehran, Iran)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Maryam Azimi bidar
Faraham Ahmadzadeh
Khosro Piri
Asghar Abdoli
Reihaneh Saberi-Pirooz

Department of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management, Environmental Sciences Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22034/envj.2024.454617.1369
Abstract
Introduction: Rational use and protection of natural grasslands within legal frameworks to regulate rangeland management and prevent land degradation, especially in countries with extensive grasslands, are crucial. Land-use change from grasslands to hand-planted forests can negatively affect soil properties and biodiversity. This change may lead to a decrease in soil organic carbon reserves, an increase in apparent density, and a change in soil pH. It also has significant impacts on soil macroinvertebrates, leading to changes in their communities' structure and subsequent ecosystem functioning. Given the substantial role of soil macroinvertebrates in ecosystem performance, preserving biodiversity and food webs through their diverse ecological services, including pollination, pest suppression, and energy cycling, is essential. The reduction of soil macroinvertebrates can have negative effects on soil structure, decomposition processes, infiltration, and gas exchange, potentially resulting in land degradation and a decline in the quality of ecological services. Therefore, the preservation and enhancement of soil macroinvertebrates are of paramount importance and play a vital role in maintaining ecosystem balance and stability. They are also sensitive to human disturbances and are used as biological indicators for such interference with soil components. The overall aim of this study is to investigate the effects of land-use change on soil macroinvertebrates. Therefore, in this research, soil macroinvertebrates and their community structures were examined between rangelands and artificially planted forests.
Materials and Methods: Sampling was conducted from the Lavizan Forest Park and its surrounding rangelands in Tehran during the spring season using the quadrat sampling method. Two sites were selected for each reigon. Each site was examined using six quadrats (0.5 m × 0.5 m). In each quadrat, soil macroinvertebrates were collected from the soil surface and depth (0-10 cm). A total of 446 samples were collected and classified into 51 morphOTUs in the planted forest and 68 morphOTUs in the rangeland based on morphological characteristics. To compare the diversity between the planted and rangeland areas, richness and diversity indices (Shannon-Wiener, Margalef, and Evenness) were calculated. Soil physicochemical properties, including soil texture (sand, silt and clay), magnesium, calcium, organic carbon, total nitrogen, biomass, and pH, were evaluated to investigate their relationship with soil macroinvertebrates.
Results: The results showed that abundance was higher in rangelands than in hand-planted forests. Also, Shannon-Wiener and Evenness indices for soil macroinvertebrates in the rangelands were higher than in the hand-planted forests, indicating a significant difference between diversity and richness indices. Additionally, the results of beta diversity methods showed that turnover between the two regions occurred. The findings of the canonical correlation analysis between the main taxonomic groups and physicochemical properties showed that different variables in rangelands and hand-planted forests had an impact on macroinvertebrate communities.     
Discussion: The results of this study showed that land-use change from rangeland to planted forests can significantly affect the biodiversity and community structure of invertebrates. Many studies have demonstrated that land-use change can lead to changes in the density and species richness of invertebrates over time. In many cases, species sensitive to disturbance are lost and replaced by other species, resulting in a substitution between invertebrate communities. This study also found significant changes in the composition of macroinvertebrate communities following land-use change. In general, the conversion of rangeland to planted forest can lead to the restoration of biodiversity in macroinvertebrate communities over time. Despite the observed changes in community composition, forests that have been planted for many years have had enough time to recover. Given the significant increase in land-use change, especially in recent decades, comprehensive information on the impact of human disturbances on soil organisms is essential for addressing conservation issues.

Keywords

Biodiversity
Land-Use
Morphological Operational Taxonomic Unit
Planted Forest
Rangeland
Turnover

Subjects

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Environment and Interdisciplinary Development
Volume 9, Issue 84
Summer 2024
Pages 95-109

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