Myriapod and isopod communities in soils contaminated by heavy metals in northern France

Abstract

Summary Soil invertebrates suffer from contamination of the soil by heavy metals. We have studied the effects of contamination by cadmium, zinc and lead on their communities in soils in northern France by comparing polluted land with non‐contaminated sites. We have followed the seasonal variations and effects of soil properties. Saprophagous invertebrates (Diplopoda, Isopoda) and Chilopoda were sampled by pitfall‐trapping from February to November in fairly contaminated areas. In addition, a Berlese extraction of the litter in two very highly contaminated sites was conducted during autumn; animals were also trapped during June in the same locations. The most active period for myriapods was spring (April and May), whereas isopods were abundant from April to the end of summer. No clear relation was found relating dominant species or number of myriapods or isopods to concentration of heavy metal in the little‐contaminated soils. The dominant species seemed not to be related to pollution but to vegetation or soil characteristics. In the most contaminated sites, with metalliferous grassland and a thick undecomposed litter layer, a threshold in contamination values seemed to be reached: no isopods or millipedes were found, but only Chilopoda and Symphyla.

Contamination of Urban Soils in an Area of Northern France Polluted by Dust Emissions of Two Smelters

“…The slow down of the organic matter degradation in soils around Umicore can be induced by the higher contamination levels and/or by the more frequent waterlogging in this area. It was shown that high concentrations of Cd, Pb and Zn around the two smelters strongly affected the ecosystem functioning by reducing the biodiversity and especially the terrestrial macroinvertebrates (Grelle et al 2000;Nahmani and Rossi 2003) and thus disturbing the carbon cycle. Waterlogging of the soils around Umicore is related to an alluvial characteristic and to the presence of the ground water rising at the soil surface during the wet season and especially in winter.…”

Humus forms and metal pollution in soil

“…Direct and indirect effects of heavy metal pollution on the soil fauna have been observed and demonstrated experimentally (Bengtsson et al ., 1983; Hågvar & Abrahamsen, 1990; Grelle et al ., 2000). Such impacts have far‐reaching consequences on the processes of humification and mineralization and on the development of humus forms (Ponge, 1999).…”

“…We aimed in this study to assess the impact of heavy metal pollution on humus profiles and soil biogenic structures. Since we know that in the north of France communities of macroinvertebrates are severely affected by high levels of heavy metal deposition (Grelle et al ., 2000), we hypothesize that changes in humus form occur under direct (toxicity) and indirect (changes in litter composition) effects of heavy metals.…”

Lead and Cadmium in Soil and Isopoda Woodlice in Croatia

“…et al, 1997;Witzel, 1998;Hames and Hopkin, 1991;Bibic\ et al, 1997, metal toxicity (Joosse et al, 1981, 1983Crommentuijn et al, 1994;Drobne and Hopkin, 1995;Drobne and Strus, 1996;Abdellateif et al, 1998;Coenen-Stass, 1998;Knigge and KoK hler 2000); or incidence in extremely contaminated environment (Hopkin and Hames, 1994;Rabitsch, 1995). Some of the studies monitored woodlice in extremely contaminated area like smelters and mines (Grelle et al, 2000;Rabitsch, 1995;Hopkin and Hames, 1994); the others were performed under laboratory conditions. There are no studies devoted to low-level contamination or natural lead and cadmium in the environment and their relation to the level in isopods.…”