Invertebrates of the Macocha Abyss (Moravian Karst, Czech Republic)

The invertebrates of the Macocha Abyss, Moravian Karst, Czech Republic, were collected in 2007–2008 and 222 species were identified in total. The relative abundance of individual taxa of land snails, harvestmen, pseudoscorpions, spiders, millipedes, centipedes, terrestrial isopods, beetles, and ants was evaluated. The cold-adapted mountain and subterranean species inhabit the bottom and lower part of the abyss, whereas the sun-exposed rocky margins were inhabited by thermophilous species. Macocha harbors several threatened species that are absent or very rare in the surrounding habitats. In the forest landscape, the Macocha Abyss represents a natural habitat with a distinct microclimatic gradient, and is an excellent refuge area for psychrophilous as well as thermophilous species, which significantly contributes to maintenance of landscape biodiversity.Key words: Ants, centipedes, beetles, biodiversity, harvestmen, land snails, light hole, millipedes, pseudoscorpions, terrestrial ispods, spiders.Nevretenčarji brezna Macoha (Moravski kras, Republika Češka)Med vzorčenjem v letih 2007 in 2008 smo v jami Macoha določili 222 vrst nevretenčarjev. Ovrednotili smo relativno pogostost posameznih taksonov polžev, suhih južin, paščipalcev, pajkov, stonog, kopenskih enakonožcev, hroščev in mravelj. Na mraz prilagojene gorske in podzemeljske vrste naseljujejo dno in spodnji del brezna, toploljubne vrste pa naseljujejo kamnite površine soncu izpostavljenega roba. V Macohi je več ogroženih vrst, ki jih sicer v okoliški pokrajini ne najdemo. Kot habitat s specifično mikroklimo je Macoha izjemno zatočišče za vlagoljubne in toploljubne vrste, ki pomembno prispevajo k vzdrževanju biotske raznovrstnosti v pokrajini.Ključne besede: Mravlje, stonoge, hrošči, suhe južine, kopenski polži, stonoge, psevdoškorpijoni, kopenski enakonožci, pajki, biotska raznovrstnost

Structure of the midgut epithelium in four diplopod species : histology, histochemistry and ultrastructure

The middle region of the digestive system of millipedes, the midgut, is responsible for all processes connected with digestion, but also takes part in homeostasis maintenance thanks to the ability to activate many mechanisms which neutralize changes occurring at different levels of the animal’s body. Numerous millipede species are treated as bioindicators of the natural environment and they are exposed to different stressors which originate from external environment. To obtain all data on the functioning of midgut of millipedes as the barrier against stressors, it is necessary to have a precise and general description of the midgut epithelium. Members from four millipede orders were selected for the studies: Polydesmus angustus (Polydesmida), Epibolus pulchripes (Spirobolida), Unciger transsilvanicus (Julida) and Glomeris tetrasticha (Glomerida). The structure and ultrastructure of their midgut epithelial cells (the digestive, secretory and regenerative cells) were documented using transmission electron microscopy and histochemical methods. The obtained results have been compared and discussed to previous ones, to present the general and structural organization of the midgut in Diplopoda. Our studies revealed that the ultrastructure of all cells which form the midgut epithelium in millipedes is general for all the species studied up to now and it resembles the cell ultrastructure observed in Chilopoda and Hexapoda, including the digestive, secretory and stem cells

Millipedes (Diplopoda), centipedes (Chilopoda), terrestrial isopods (Oniscidea), and earthworms (Lumbricidae) of the Pálava Biosphere Reserve

The earliest records of millipedes, centipedes, terrestrial isopods, and earthworms from the territory of the Pálava Biosphere Reserve (BR) come from the thirties to fifties of the past century. However, the research on these invertebrates was carried out mainly in the adjacent floodplain of the Dyje River downstream to its confluence with the Morava River, covering only partially the territory of the present BR. An important milestone was the project aimed at the survey of terrestrial invertebrates within the extended BR, as recently under consideration (Rozkošný a Vaňhara 1995), in which all available faunistic records were summarised. Intensive soil zoological research carried out in the scope of the Global Environment Facility project as well as activities connected with biomonitoring in protected areas of the Czech Republic improved importantly the knowledge of the distribution of these invertebrates in the study area. At present, 23 species of millipedes (30% of species known in the Czech Republic) , 21 species of centipedes (29%), 16 species of terrestrial isopods (36%), and 19 species and subspecies of earthworms (36%) are known from the Pálava BR. The thermophilous character of many localities is manifested in the occurrence of the millipede Megaphyllum unilineatum, the centipedes Scutigera coleoptrata, Dignathodon microcephalus, and Henia illyrica, the isopod Trachelipus nodulosus, as well as of the earthworms Dendrobaena mrazeki and Kritodrilus auriculatus. The records of the millipedes Julus scanicus and Leptoiulus cibdellus in the wetland biotopes of the Křivé jezero National Nature Reserve, those of the terrestrial isopods Armadillidium versicolor in the Pavlov Hills, and that of Armadillidium zenckeri in the Slanisko u Nesytu National Nature Reserve, as well as the occurrence of the earthworms Allolobophora hrabei and Fitzingeria platyura in the Milovice Forest and Pavlov Hills are particularly important

Soil macrofauna (Diplopoda, Chilopoda, Oniscidea) in a pine forest disturbed by wildfire

The effect of wildfire on the soil invertebrate assemblages was studied after a large-scale fire in 1992 in the secondary pine forests in the Záhorie Lowland, Western Slovakia. Two plots differently affected by fire and one control plot with non-burned pine plantation were investigated during 1993-1995 for soil macrofauna. Soil sampling and pitfall trapping were used and parameters of millipede, centipede and terrestrial isopod assemblages were analyzed in detail. Among the soil macrofauna no survivors were found after the fire. Animal groups possessing a higher ability of migration (e.g. ants, larvae and adults of Diptera and Coleoptera) represented the first colonizers of the completely burned out pine plots. Centipedes, the representatives of predators, migrated and recolonized the open burned out plots more rapidly than saprophagous millipedes and terrestrial isopods, even they formed specific and relatively stable populations in non-disturbed surrounding plantations. Successional development of less disturbed plot was characterized by presence of some millipede and isopod species already during the first year after the fire event. These species (esp. the millipedes Cylindroiulus boleti and Proteroiulus fuscus) represent subcorticolous inhabitants, which explain their higher ability to survive the fire. The slow restoration processes after the wildfire should be attributed more to the destruction and elimination of litter layers and the above ground vegetation cover, rather than to the immediate eradication of soil animal assemblages, since most of them were completely absent after the fire event

Contributions to Soil Zoology in Central Europe III. Proceedings of the 9.sup.th./sup. Central European Workshop on Soil Zoology

The proceedings of the 9.sup.th./sup. Central European Workshop on Soil Zoology involves papers based on the lectures and posters presented at the meeting held in České Budějovice on April 17-20, 2007. In total 32 contributions reflect different aspects of soil zoological research, e.g. taxonomy, ecology and biology of soil fauna, physiology of soil invertebrates, the impact of human activities on soil fauna etc

Communities of millipedes (.i.Diplopoda./i.) and centipedes (.i.Chilopoda./i.) in changing conditions of montane spruce forests of the Šumava Mountains

In the nineties of the past century, large climax Norway spruce (.i.Picea abies./i.) areas of the Šumava Mountains were damaged by the bark beetle outbreak. The subsequent decay of spruce growths become the object of interest for management practice, nature protection as well as research activities. While the changes in forest growths under the bark beetle outbreak were well visible, there were no information about the impact of these processes and subsequent management practices used (clear cutting, spontaneous development of dead growths) on soil environments and existing communities of soil organisms. Within the soil zoological research in 1999-2010 near the localities Březník and Studená hora Mt., qualitative and quantitative parameters of millipede and centipede assemblages were studied in undamaged, damaged and dead forest stands, and in differently old clearings. Combination of methods of pitfall trapping and soil sampling served data about the composition and changes of communities of both invertebrate groups