MESOFAUNA, ESPECIALLY THE COLLEMBOLAN FAU NA, IN VIENNA BEECH WOOD INRELATION TO LITTER ACCUMULATION AND DEPLETION

Litter drifts in beech woods cause characteristic ecological features. On the lee side, the accumulation areas have a higher enrichment of n utrients in the soil water, while on the waether-side, the soil is str ipped off nutrients and its pH-value decreases. The soil mesofauna, es pecially the collembolan species Isotoma notabilis, Isotomiella minor and Mesaphorura macrochaeta indicate these altered soil properties by characteristic changes in abundance and dominance values.