Emma Sherlock

Biodiversity of soil macrofauna in the New Forest: a benchmark study across a national park landscape

The New Forest National Park is a hotspot for biodiversity in the UK. A long history of grazing by ponies in the New Forest landscape has created a diverse mosaic of habitats that are of international significance. We investigated patterns of species diversity and composition across the New Forest landscape by sampling soil, leaf litter and ground macrofauna from woodland, grassland and heathland plots across the entire landscape. We used a spatially replicated design of hand sorted soil pits, Winkler extraction of leaf litter, and pitfall traps. We concentrated on diversity patterns of the following target groups: Coleoptera, Formicidae, Isopoda, Chilopoda, Diplopoda, Opiliones and Lumbricidae. The most striking difference in species assemblages is between wooded and open areas. Woodlands are the most diverse habitats and have a distinct assemblage, largely due to those leaf litter invertebrate species which are only present under a closed canopy. Open areas are less diverse, with diversity particularly low in the wet grasslands. However, the open areas do have a distinct fauna, especially in the wet and dry heaths which are home to a number of rare species, particularly of Formicidae. We discuss the potential conservation problems facing the New Forest and how these might affect soil macrofauna biodiversity in the future and conclude that climate change; over-grazing; and land use changes represent the largest threats. Although a relatively stable landscape which benefits from protection under UK law, changes in grazing intensity or management practices in the New Forest, particularly for some of the habitats of European importance (e.g. wet heathlands), could negatively affect soil macrofauna biodiversity. Climate change may also exacerbate biodiversity decline as a result of increased grazing intensity or changes in management.

Comparative marine biodiversity and depth zonation in the Southern Ocean: evidence from a new large polychaete dataset from Scotia and Amundsen seas

Based on a dataset of 16,991 and 307 morphospecies of polychaete worms collected from 58 epibenthic sledge deployments across the Scotia and Amundsen Seas, we show that the structures of their shelf, deep-shelf and slope communities are composed of distinct polychaete assemblages spanning regions with “high”, “intermediate”, and “low” biodiversity. Depth has been identified as the main factor structuring the polychaete communities in both seas, countering the prevalent notion of extended eurybathy of the Southern Ocean benthos. From an evolutionary perspective, this strong dissimilarity between shelf and slope fauna could be interpreted as evidence for survival in shelf refugias, rather than migration into deeper waters during glacial maxima. The previously unsampled Amundsen Sea is shown to be diverse, harbouring a high level of taxonomic novelty, with many species new to science. The polychaete community of the inner shelf in the Amundsen Sea (Pine Island Bay) has also been shown to be of deep-sea character, likely due to intrusion of the Circumpolar Deep Water onto the shelf. In the Scotia Sea, our data support the notion of relatively high biodiversity of waters around the South Orkney Islands, South Georgia, and Shag Rocks (all recently established as Marine Protected Areas) and depressed diversity in the extreme environment of Southern Thule.

Two new earthworm species from Belize (Oligochaeta: Acanthodrilidae)

In 2001 the Soil Biodiversity Group of the Natural History Museum, London collected Oligochaeta material from bromeliad epiphytes and litter samples in Belize. This material remained unidentified until being passed to the Annelida curator in 2010. Elaborating this material resulted in discovery of two earthworm species new to science Eutrigaster (Graffia) georgei sp. nov. and Kaxdrilus sherbutti sp. nov. belonging to the family Acanthodrilidae (Benhamiinae) and Acanthodrilidae (Acanthodrilinae) respectively. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6BEB9E5A-7D54-4E48-913D-EF76D7DACC16

Differences in nest structure influence the importance of Formica rufa group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) wood ant nests as refugia for earthworms

A previous study on the nests of the wood ant species Formica aquilonia in Finland showed them to be summer refugia for two species of earthworms in Finland. They showed that earthworm abundance and biomass were greater in nests than in surrounding soil and leaf litter, emphasizing the importance of the ants as ecosystem engineers. In this study nests of the closely related wood ant, Formica rufa in southern England were sampled to investigate whether earthworms use the nests in a similar way. Few earthworms were found in the wood ant nests sampled. The reason for these differences was probably because F. rufa nest structure was dry and lacked the moist decomposing layer found in the nests of F. aquilonia. We conclude that F. rufa nests are not used by earthworms as summer refugia in southern England. This re-emphasizes the difficulties of generalizing across closely related taxa and within biogeographical regions.

Four new earthworm species from the highlands of Cameroon with description of a new genus Okudrilus gen. n. (Oligochaeta: Eudrilidae & Acanthodrilidae)

ABSTRACT Examining a small collection of earthworms from the highlands of Cameroon resulted in clarifying the taxonomic status of Eminoscolex franzi Zicsi & Csuzdi, 1986 stat. n. and discovering a new eudrilid genus Okudrilus gen. n. containing three new species: O. monticolus, O. sulcatus and O. nyosensis spp. n. The new genus is similar to Metascolex Michaelsen, 1903; however, it differs from it in the position of the gizzard, the structure of the ovo-spermathecal system and furthermore in the presence of penial setae. It also resembles Vomia Segun, 1976 but differs from it in the metandric condition of the male genitalia and the long backward running vesicles. Apart from the new eudrilid taxa the material also contained a new acanthodrilid species, Dichogaster (Diplothecodrilus) asymmetrica sp. n., characterised by the asymmetric position of its spermathecal duct-ampulla junction. All members of this new genus were collected in North West Region, with O. monticolus endemic to the summit grasslands of Mount Oku, and is possibly threatened by climate change, and soil degradation through overgrazing and fire.

Annotated checklist of earthworm species described by András Zicsi (Clitellata: Megadrili)

Professor András Zicsi, the renowed taxonomist and ecologist of earthworms, passed away on 22 July, 2015. He had a decisive impact on earthworm taxonomy in the second half of the 20th century, describing 10 new genus group taxa and 243 species / subspecies new to science distributed in 10 families. A complete list of the new taxa described by Prof. Zicsi is presented here together with references to the original descriptions and the valid names.

Snagged setae: evaluating alternatives to cotton wool bungs for liquid-stored specimens

Abstract This study comprises a search for a replacement for cotton wool (also called cotton batting) stoppers within spirit collections. It briefly explores relevant published literature and documents a three-year experiment to test the durability of plastic lids, inert foam, and parafilm, within ethanol, IDA, and formalin. Following visual observations and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy the study concludes that Parafilm M™ is unsuitable for long-term use but Plastazote® bungs and polyethylene lids are suitable for vials within glass-lidded jars. The study should aid curators making decisions regarding suitable storage and transportation of spirit collections and prevent future damage of delicate specimens.

History of the earthworm collections at the Natural History Museum, London

Abstract The Natural History Museum London houses one of the largest and most historic earthworm collections in the world. Despite some periods of inactivity, largely due to international events and a lack of general enthusiasm by collectors worldwide in some eras, it has continued to grow. Periods of rapid expansion of the collection coincide with eras of resident Oligochaete researchers at the Museum, however, the general growth can be in part attributed to Oligochaetoligists world wide and the assistance they provided each other and their respective institutions, something they continue to do to this day. This paper highlights the periods of growth, explains the times of inactivity and highlights the collection for future depositions and further utilisation by researchers worldwide.