Soil macroinvertebrate communities: A world‐wide assessment

Aim Macroinvertebrates comprise a highly diverse set of taxa with great potential as indicators soil quality. Communities were sampled at 3,694 sites distributed world-wide. We aimed to analyse the patterns abundance, composition and network characteristics their relationships latitude, mean annual temperature rainfall, land cover, texture agricultural practices. Location Sites are in 41 countries, ranging from 55° S 57° N 0 4,000 m elevation, rainfall 500 >3,000 mm temperatures 5–32°C. Time period 1980–2018. Major studied All macroinvertebrates: Haplotaxida; Coleoptera; Formicidae; Arachnida; Chilopoda; Diplopoda; Diptera; Isoptera; Isopoda; Homoptera; Hemiptera; Gastropoda; Blattaria; Orthoptera; Lepidoptera; Dermaptera; “others”. Methods Standard ISO 23611-5 sampling protocol was applied all sites. Data treatment used multivariate analyses, principal components analysis (PCA) on macrofauna data transformed by Hellinger’s method, multiple correspondence for environmental (latitude, average type vegetation cover) into discrete classes, coinertia compare these two sets, bias-corrected accelerated bootstrap tests evaluate part variance attributable each factors. Network performed. Each pairwise association taxonomic units tested against null model considering local regional scales, order avoid spurious correlations. Results separated five clusters reflecting densities richness. They significantly influenced climatic conditions, cover. Abundance diversity, highest tropical forests (1,895 ± 234 individuals/m2) savannahs (1,796 72 individuals/m2), progressively decreased cropping systems (tree-associated crops, 1,358 120 individuals/m2; pastures, 1,178 154 867 62 temperate grasslands (529 60 (232 20 crops (231 24 dry shrubs (195 11 individuals/m2). Agricultural management overall abundance ≤54% areas 64% areas. Connectivity varied taxa, dominant positive connections litter transformers negative ecosystem engineers Arachnida. modularity higher communities low Main conclusions Soil macroinvertebrate respond climatic, land-cover conditions. except termites, found everywhere, cover wide range geographical practices decrease although presence tree alleviates this effect.