Epigaeic invertebrate diversity of post‐mining revegetation evaluated by comparison with adjacent remnant woodlands

This study evaluated the validity of invertebrate diversity for evaluating condition minesite rehabilitation. Because aim rehabilitation mined lands in this region is to establish a self-sustaining ecosystem that resembles “bushland,” variety remnant woodlands vicinity were selected as reference sites. Reference sites encompassed range soil types (alluvial, coarse-textured, or clay) and understorey structural (grassy, grass, shrub shrubby). Grassland (cleared woodlands) also sampled provide negative control. Epigaeic invertebrates three compared with five grassland using pitfall traps over 6 years. Sites annually annual data within each two time periods (T1: 2008–2010 T2: 2011–2013) pooled. Ants, beetles, springtails identified morphospecies, providing site species richness composition data. Springtail metrics all habitats, reference, rehabilitation, grassland, resembled other T1 well T2, indicating rapidly provided suitable conditions group. In contrast, ant beetle differed significantly from but not although only ants matched expected control remaining distinct both periods. Thus, assemblages show positive trajectory toward native away grasslands. These findings demonstrate are developing diverse comparable local relatively short frames.