Meeting Abstract

P3.119  Monday, Jan. 6 15:30  Mind your step: What is the effect of soil compaction on soil invertebrate movement? CHOW, M.H.*; MANCIA, S.I.; HUANG, X.; MCMILLAN, B.; JACOBS, M.W.; McDaniel College; McDaniel College; McDaniel College; Bryn Mawr School; McDaniel College mhc006@mcdaniel.edu

Human foot-traffic and livestock treading can cause levels of soil compaction that can influence the abundance and composition of soil invertebrate communities. We hypothesized that the levels of soil compaction found in hiking paths may slow or even stop soil invertebrate movement. We collected soil cores (4-inch diameter x 4-inch depth) from a non-compacted area and placed them in Berlese-Tullgren funnels. At the bottom of the funnels, organisms had to move through either a compacted or non-compacted ½ inch layer of sterile soil before dropping into a jar of ethanol. We compared total soil invertebrate abundance and abundance of selected individual taxa after 6 and 162 hours. Cumulative total organism abundance after 162 hours was significantly higher in samples with no compacted layer compared to samples with a compacted layer. This suggests that soil compaction serves as a barrier. Soil compaction may also have slowed invertebrate movement: we observed a strong trend for lower abundance in the compacted treatment in the 6 hour sample, but not in the 162 hour sample. Our results suggest that compacted areas such as human walking paths could present enough of a migratory barrier to separate soil invertebrates.