Soil microarthropods are only weakly impacted after 13 years of repeated drought treatment in wet and dry heathland soils

摘要: Studies of biological responses in the terrestrial environment to rapid changes climate have mostly been concerned with aboveground biota, whereas less is known belowground organisms. The present study focuses on mites and springtails heathland ecosystems how microarthropod community has responded simulated change a long-term field experiment. Increased temperature repeated drought was applied for 13 years plots located Wales, Netherlands Denmark representing sites contrasting climatic conditions respect precipitation temperature. This approach provided an opportunity local (within sites) regional scale. Warming treatments increasing night time (0.3–1 °C higher than ambient at 5 cm soil depth) had no detectable effects communities. intensity frequency only weak persistent springtail species composition, but practically effect major mite groups (Oribatida, Prostigmata or Mesostigmata) suggesting that ecosystem functions microarthropods may be transiently impacted by spring summer drought.