Arthropods
Arthropods ( ) are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an arthropod exoskeleton, exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often Mineralization (biology), mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (Metam ...
) are a special size group of small invertebrates of the phylum
arthropods
Arthropods ( ) are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an arthropod exoskeleton, exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often Mineralization (biology), mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (Metam ...
. Their sizes (usually from one to several millimeters) determine their habitats (usually soils), ecological features and methods of study.
Description
Microarthropods are able to move only within existing pores in the soil. Soil Habitats: Adaptive strategies of the soil arthropods. Response to Soil Texture // Encyclopedia of Insects. 2nd ed. Editors V. H. Resh, R. T. Carde. Elsevier, 2009 P. 936—937.
Microarthropods are a diverse, taxonomically separate group of small animals, including representatives of various classes and orders of arthropods. Here are their main characteristics and features:
Microarthropods include mainly the following groups:
* Soil and surface
Collembola
Springtails (class Collembola) form the largest of the three lineages of modern hexapods that are no longer considered insects. Although the three lineages are sometimes grouped together in a class called Entognatha because they have internal m ...
(or springtails)
* Soil mites:
Oribatida
Oribatida (formerly Cryptostigmata), also known as oribatid mites, moss mites or beetle mites, are an order of mites, in the "chewing Acariformes" clade Sarcoptiformes. They range in size from . There are currently 12,000 species that have been i ...
,
Mesostigmata
Mesostigmata is an order of mites belonging to the Parasitiformes. They are by far the largest group of Parasitiformes, with over 8,000 species in 130 families. Mesostigmata includes parasitic as well as free-living and predatory forms. They ca ...
, acariform mites and other small
Arachnids
Arachnids are arthropods in the class Arachnida () of the subphylum Chelicerata. Arachnida includes, among others, spiders, scorpions, ticks, mites, pseudoscorpions, harvestmen, camel spiders, whip spiders and vinegaroons.
Adult arachnids ...
* Small
centipedes
Centipedes (from Neo-Latin , "hundred", and Latin language, Latin , "foot") are predatory arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda (Ancient Greek , ''kheilos'', "lip", and Neo-Latin suffix , "foot", describing the forcipules) of the subphyl ...
* Small
insects
Insects (from Latin ') are hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of jointed ...
and their larvae
* Small
crustaceans
Crustaceans (from Latin meaning: "those with shells" or "crusted ones") are invertebrate animals that constitute one group of Arthropod, arthropods that are traditionally a part of the subphylum Crustacea (), a large, diverse group of mainly aquat ...
.
Many species of microarthropods have not yet been described and require further study.
Sizes: from fractions of a millimeter to several millimeters.
The body, like all arthropods, is segmented (with jointed limbs).
Microarthropods are found almost everywhere, most often in fallen leaves, soil litter and upper soil layers. They play an important role in accelerating the decomposition of organic matter and forming the soil structure.
In water, they are part of the
plankton
Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms that drift in Hydrosphere, water (or atmosphere, air) but are unable to actively propel themselves against ocean current, currents (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are ca ...
or
benthos
Benthos (), also known as benthon, is the community of organisms that live on, in, or near the bottom of a sea, river, lake, or stream, also known as the benthic zone.collembologists, acarologists and others).
References
Literature
* ''Chernova N.M., Chugunova M.N.'' Analysis of the spatial distribution of soil-dwelling microarthropods within a single plant association // Pedobiologia. 1967. Vol. 7. No. 1. P. 67-87.
* Ecology of forest soil microarthropods: collection of scientific papers / ed. N.M. Chernova. - Moscow: Nauka, 1988. - 134 p.
* ''Gobat J-M., Aragno M., Matthey W.'' The Living Soil: Fundamentals of Soil Science and Soil Biology. Science Pub, 2004. 602 p.
* ''Görres J.H., Amador J.A.'' Microarthropods: The soil fauna // Principles and Applications of Soil Microbiology (Third Edition), 2021.