Collembola Field Study

Introduction

Collembolans are said to have direct and indirect effect on organic matter breakdown and soil nutrient recycling, with their faecal pellets creating favorable habitat for microorganism development.

Illustration Collembola
Illustration © Alexander Schaefer

Study Design

  • The study design is according to ISO 23611-2 (2007) and de Jong F.M.W. et al. (2010).
  • The basic experimental design comprises three treatment groups; a negative control (water treated control), a positive control (reference substance) and the test item.
  • The test is designed as a randomized complete block with at least four replicates for each treatment (10 m * 10 m per plot), with at least 3 m bdistance between each plot and 10 m distance to adjacent fields.

Sampling

Collembolans are sampled from the soil by combining two different methods, to cover the ecological groups:

  1. Soil core samplers
    (eudaphic collembolans)

Collembolans are extracted from the soil cores using the Mac Fayden heat extraction method.

2. Pitfall traps
   (epedaphic collembolans)

Identification/Endpoints

Photos Collembola: depositphotos, Photo Neelipleona: panthermedia